Sources: Teams discuss trade for Bears’ Howard
Multiple teams approached the Chicago Bears at the NFL scouting combine last week to discuss a potential trade for running back Jordan Howard, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.
The Bears are in the market for a kicker, and on Wednesday, they signed free agent Chris Blewitt. They will release Cody Parkey, who blew it against the Eagles with a late miss.
Howard, 24, finished the regular season on a high note, but questions remain as to whether he is a long-term fit in coach Matt Nagy’s offense.
Sources said discussions about a potential deal for Howard are ongoing.
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Howard, who is entering the final year of his original rookie contract at a base salary of $2.02 million, rushed for 935 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. He also caught 20 passes for 145 yards.
Fellow running back Tarik Cohen, who handled the bulk of playing time in passing situations, made the Pro Bowl after catching 71 passes for 725 yards and 6 TDs. However, he only had 99 rushing attempts, compared to Howard’s 250 carries.
Howard, a fifth-round pick in 2016, made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season after rushing for 1,313 yards on 252 attempts — an average of 5.2 yards per carry — while scoring seven total touchdowns. He followed that up with another 1,122 rushing yards and nine TDs in 2017.
ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson contributed to this report.