The Chicago Bears are taking all of the Carolina Panthers’ primary weapons. First, the Bears got receiver D.J. Moore in the massive trade that allowed the Panthers to move from ninth to first overall in the draft… and then, they signed former Carolina running back D’Onta Foreman to a one-year, $3 million deal that may rise to the level of outright larceny.
A late bloomer in the NFL, Foreman was a rotational and replacement back for the Texans and Titans through the first four years of his career. He was invisible through the first six weeks of the 2022 season with the Panthers, and then, the Christian McCaffrey trade happened. Foreman gained 34 yards on 12 carries in the first six games, and then, he went off. From Week 7 through Week 18, Foreman’s numbers were virtually identical to those of Browns franchise back Nick Chubb.
Comparing D'Onta Foreman and Nick Chubb, Weeks 7-18.
Foreman: 191 carries for 876 yards, five touchdowns, 32 missed tackles forced, 12 carries of 15 or more yards.
Chubb: 192 carries for 876 yards, five touchdowns, 41 missed tackles forced, 12 carries of 15 or more yards. pic.twitter.com/9Z9mDpXEAC
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 10, 2023
At 6-foot-0 and 235 pounds, Foreman can obviously bull through tacklers and make gains after contact (634 of his 876 yards came after the first hit), but he can also bounce outside and accelerate to the second and third levels. He might not be a bell-cow back in the traditional sense, but he’ll be an excellent addition to a Chicago run game that will be centered around quarterback Justin Fields, and fellow running back Khalil Herbert.
