The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of training camp, where there are a number of position battles to monitor. The biggest is running back, where rookie Roschon Johnson will compete with veterans Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman for the lead back role.
Johnson explained his mindset heading into the running back battle in training camp in a recent appearance on NBC Sports Chicago’s Under Center Podcast.
“I think it’s not necessarily proving to anybody, but it’s proving to myself like who I am,” Johnson said. “I think the moment you start trying to prove to people what you can do, I think the moment it doesn’t go right then you kind of get in your head a little bit.
“I try my best to keep a certain perspective that whatever happens, I’m going to put my best foot forward and I’m going to go hard, and ultimately, you’re going to see what type of dude I am in that process. I think it’s really just taking it day by day, taking advantage of my opportunities when they present themselves and just trying to be prepared as much as I can when my opportunity comes.”
Johnson will likely start the summer third on the depth chart behind Herbert and Foreman. But in what will be a committee approach to Chicago’s rushing attack, Johnson should see plenty of opportunities as a rookie, even if he doesn’t start.
Many believe Johnson could challenge for starting reps as a rookie, where his pass catching ability and pass protection prowess provide the Bears with something they lost when David Montgomery left in free agency.
