Bears rookie running back Roschon Johnson was one of the few bright spots in the team’s embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Packers.
Johnson was asked to do a lot — whether it was run the game, line up as a receiver or pass block. And he excelled at it all. Johnson had five carries for 20 yards and a touchdown, as well as a team-high six receptions for 35 yards.
Buy Bears TicketsWhen the game got out of hand in the second half, Johnson had some highlights, including a tough 11-yard run through Packers safety Rudy Ford for a first down.
Quarterback Justin Fields praised Johnson in his first NFL start, where he impressed as a runner, receiver and pass blocker. It wasn’t anything Fields didn’t expect from the rookie.
“I think since Day 1 he’s kind of a grown man, to be honest with you,” Fields said. “He has handled himself as a grown man. He has come in here and worked. He is always one of the last ones off the field. Every day after practice, every time we need to throw extra, he’s always right there to catch.
“His first game, we asked him to do a lot from a lot of different positions. Running back, of course. He was lined up as a receiver a couple times. He handled it very well. I am definitely proud of him for doing that. For getting so much put on his plate and the way he handled it, I am just excited for him and his future and what he’s going to be able to do for us and this team.”
Johnson led all Bears running backs in reps with 29 (Khalil Herbert saw 27, D’Onta Foreman had 21). That was likely due to the game being out of reach, but Johnson’s performance has certainly earned him more looks on offense, especially with his versatile skillset. We’ll see how involved he is against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
