How Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert sees the positive in different opportunities on a 'different' team

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - There's so much different this year for Khalil Herbert. 

Change isn't too unheard of for the fifth-year running back out of Virginia Tech. He joined the Chicago Bears in 2021, endured a coaching change heading into 2022 and took over as lead back in 2023.

But this is a different kind of change for him.

"It just feels different, you know?" Herbert told FOX 32. "We got a bunch of guys in here that can make plays, on both sides of the ball, in the kicking game as well. So, it feels a little different."

Much has been made of the differences in the air around Halas Hall in 2024 compared to years past, but Herbert is one of the players feeling the brunt of that change.

Herbert was the first-string running back heading into the first preseason game in 2023, and he was also the second-string kickoff returner.

On the first unofficial depth chart sent out by the Bears ahead of Thursday's Hall of Fame game, Herbert is listed behind free agent addition D'Andre Swift as the second or third running back, sharing the or designation with Roschon Johnson, while being taken off the depth chart for the kick off returner entirely behind Velus Jones Jr. and DeAndre Carter.

Not to mention, the entire slate of kickoff rules and the entire Bears' offense has changed.

That amount of change doesn't deter Herbert, especially when there are still opportunities he has before him to contribute to this football team. His perspective remains inherently positive, especially since competition makes everyone, himself included, better.

"It's just competition, man," Herbert said. "It's competition. The market's back up for running backs, so that's good, but definitely just competition at the end of the day."

Playing behind Swift and alongside Johnson means his rushing attempts could see a dip. Herbert has averaged 121 rushing attempts per year across his three seasons with the Bears.

Last season, Herbert had a career-high 132 carries through 12 games. 

Now, Herbert has to compete with Roschon Johnson to earn the back-up spot behind Swift. Johnson, in his second year out of Texas, is a bruising back compared to the shifty running style Herbert has.

Herbert will still get his opportunities. Shane Waldron's offense in Seattle only had one year when a running back had over 200 carries and no other back had at least 100 carries. That was in 2022 when Kenneth Walker had 228 carries, and the very next year Seattle drafted Zach Charbonnet.

The Bears have Swift, Herbert and Johnson, making up arguably the most talented running back room that Herbert has been a part of his time in Chicago.

"I feel like we got the best running back room in the league," Herbert said. "I feel like sky's the limit for what we can do, just off the guys we got in the room."

But, there are more opportunities outside the running game for Herbert.

Namely, Herbert can take advantage of the new kickoff rules. He didn't return a kick in 2023, but in 2021 Herbert returned 27 kickoffs for 650 yards and a 24.1 kick off return average.

The skills are there, and now the new rules can combine his return abilities with his running back skills to give the Bears a weapon on kick returns. They'll need it, since the team is anticipating more action on kick returns, too.

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower mentioned multiple times that kick returners will touch the ball four or five more times in a game under the new rules than with the previous rules. That's led to discussions about returners, the desired skills and the desired body types.

"We think that the body type is definitely a discussion, I’m going to keep experimenting with it," Hightower said on Friday. "I’m training all the body types, I’m training skill position and I’m training what we call ‘big skill’ because they don’t like to be called ‘bigs.' We’re training everyone and it’s a wide-open competition for the best man to win."

But, first, he has to learn the new rules. Admittedly, it's been a lot for him to digest.

There's plenty to think about: Where's the landing zone? Like what happens if the ball touches the end zone? What happens if the ball touches before the landing zone? Does he get on this ball? Does he let it go? Where does the ball go if it hits the ground?

"Every day, I feel like we learn something new, what you can and can't do, and things that they do allow," Herbert said. "Just trying to find different ways to have the best advantage."

One advantage is the fact blockers are not allowed to move until the returnman touches the ball. That means Herbert can see gap openings from afar now, and his vision skills as a running back come in handy there.

"Everybody's not running 40 yards down the field," he said. "You see a cut, you see a gap, and you hit the hole."

This is a big season for Herbert.

He's in a contract year, the last of his rookie deal, and the running back market had an uptick this free agency cycle with players like Swift, Saquon Barkely, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard getting over $10 million in guaranteed money.

There's plenty that Herbert is good at. But, given the changes at Halas Hall and around the league, he wants to show just how good he can be given the competition he's now facing.

"I feel like I could always take it up a notch," Herbert said. "That's kind of what I've been trying to do this offseason and this camp."