Bears Won’t Trade Jordan Howard

Despite some rumblings this offseason of a potential Jordan Howard deal, the running back has been assured that he is staying put. When asked about the speculation on Tuesday, Howard told reporters that Bears executives told his agent that they have “no plans” to trade him (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune). 

Howard’s own reaction to the trade speculation this offseason only fueled the buzz. At one point, Howard removed all of his Bears-related photos from his Instagram page. Howard dismissed a question regarding that as well, saying there was “nothing to it.”

Howard, a fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft, has been solid for Chicago over the last two seasons. He boasts a career average of 4.6 yards per carry and last year he topped 1,100 yards with nine touchdowns. He also hauled in 23 catches for 125 yards in 2017.

If the Bears ever did entertain a trade for Howard, they probably set the asking price pretty high. Not only is Howard productive, but he’s also one of the league’s best values at running back. He is under contract for another two seasons with modest charges of $692K in 2018 and $782K in 2019.

The Bears have yet to make any changes to their running back group this offseason. Reserve Benny Cunningham was the only free agent of note at the position and he was re-signed in early April after meeting with the Saints and Bucs. The Bears may look to add a supporting running back in the draft, but Howard remains their top option.

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