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Chicago Bears Spotlight: Can This UDFA Running Back Make Ben Johnson's Team?
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- Chicago Bears Spotlight: Can This UDFA Running Back Make Ben Johnson's Team?
Ben Johnson likes his running backs.
D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai spearheaded a Chicago Bears ' rushing attack that finished as one of the top units in the league.
In Johnson's first year as the Chicago Bears head coach last season, his offense finished as the No. 3 rushing team in the NFL (2,345 yards) and had the third-most rushes of 10 yards or more (67).
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The Bears utilized multiple tight end sets at a top-5 rate last season and having those bigger bodies on the field helped create rushing lanes for the players in the backfield.
Although running backs are not viewed as premium positions and are often replaced before it's time to pay players a high salary, the position matters in Johnson's offense.
That's why it's noteworthy what the Bears' head coach had to say about Kennesaw State undrafted free agent running back Coleman Bennett.
"I think that (RB) Coach (Eric) Studesville did a great job identifying a player that's a darn good football player and instinctive," Johnson said during Bears rookie minicamp. "He has a knack about him that he we like to use this term, trim the fat, and you can kind of see that when he runs the football, he stays tight to his blockers and when you do that, it's more glancing blows. So it's a skill that translates to this level and so we're really hopeful that he'll we'll be able to see that here this weekend and over the course of the spring."
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Last season for the Owls, Bennett played in all 14 games, rushing for 764 yards on 157 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and added four touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 203-pound running back also caught 27 passes for 314 yards and three scores.
During the 2025 season, Bennett also proved he can make defenders miss and fight through tackles.
According to Kennesaw State's official website , Bennett "becomes the third Owl to sign with the Bears organization, joining Travis Bell (2023, 2024) and Auzoyah Alufohai (2021-22)."
For Bennett to have a longer career than his former Owls teammates, he will have to display his ability to "trim the fat" when running through the designed holes in the Bears' wide zone scheme.
Behind Swift and Monangai, the Bears have Roschon Johnson and Brittain Brown . There is a possibility for Bennett to earn a role on this Bears team, but he will have to show he can contribute on special teams before even considering taking handoffs.
Johnson preaches competition, and if Bennett capitalizes on this opportunity, he could be the latest addition to Chicago's backfield.
