Bears RB D’Onta Foreman bringing confidence to role with Chicago: ‘I came here to try to be the guy’

New Bears running back D’Onta Foreman has signed a modest $3 million one-year deal with Chicago, but he has big plans for his time at the Windy City.

Added as a replacement for David Montgomery, who is now a lion, he was asked at Friday’s opening press conference how he envisioned a backfield stake played with fellow RB Khalil Herbert and quarterback Justin Fields.

Although he emphasized his team mindset, Foreman was not shy about his confidence.

“I can’t tell,” Foreman replied. “I can’t talk about the coaches and their plans. I came here to try and be a guy. If I didn’t come here with that mentality, I would be doing myself a disservice. do the team a disservice. I respect everything, modestly trust, I’m not trying to make it look different than it really is. It’s just that I’m confident and I feel like I can come and be a guy. And also be the guy that people count on and I can help us win. I didn’t come here to back down before anyone.”

The winds of Foreman’s long road to Chicago were marked by setbacks that often caused him to stoop to the rear-seat view, but he did well when he got the wheel.

After an Achilles injury in 2017, his debut year contributed to the end of his Texas career before it hit the ground, and a bicep tear in 2019 did the same in Indianapolis, Foreman finally saw his first opportunity to be a “boyfriend” during his second season with the Titans.

After Derrick Henry broke his leg, Foreman moved up for 566 yards and three touchdowns on 133 carries, proving that his rumbling, clumsy days before the end zone were not only behind him.

He did it again to an even greater extent last year at the Carolinas, recording career highs in tries (203), yards (914) and touchdowns (5) in a season tipped off the axis by the mid-season Christian McCaffrey trade. His 4.5 yards per carry matched Austin Eckeler and Jonathan Taylor, two of the league’s brightest talents.

“I aspire to those moments,” Foreman said. “A lot of people didn’t take us into account, you know, we sold Christian. I think that even a year before, when I was in Tennessee and Derrick Henry was injured, I think a lot of people didn’t take us into account. So even in this role, I think it was the perfect moment to show people that I can play as well as some of the best people in the league. I’m with these guys and just trying to keep proving it.”

His performance when forced into action helped him secure another contract during the first wave of free rein, even at a small price, as the devaluation of runners continues.

Foreman likely won’t enter the season as Chicago’s top running threat — not after Herbert led all RBs with 5.7 yards per carry in 2022 and Fields led all players averaging 7.1 yards per carry. kick on the way to a second-best season. QB in NFL history (1,143 yards).

But last season, Montgomery released 201 carries. Considering their cut, the newest Bears running back has proven what he’s capable of.