Bears latest re-signing should tell you more about the personnel input from a particular coach than the team's 2025 Draft plans
It's remarkable this even needs to be brought up, but after seeing the reactions from the fanbase on Monday night and into Tuesday morning, it needs to be addressed.The Chicago Bears made another free agent move to start the week by re-signing another one of their own in running back Travis Homer to a one-year, […]
It's remarkable this even needs to be brought up, but after seeing the reactions from the fanbase on Monday night and into Tuesday morning, it needs to be addressed.
The Chicago Bears made another free agent move to start the week by re-signing another one of their own in running back Travis Homer to a one-year, $2 million deal.
Homer spent each of the last two seasons in Chicago and there's a clear reason why the front office decided to bring him back for a third in 2025, and it should be obvious.
The Bears didn't bring Homer back off the market to add another option to the backfield alongside D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Ian Wheeler. Homer was brought back because of his ability to contribute on special teams.
In 2024, Homer actually led all offensive players on the team with 166 special teams snaps. He returned one kickoff for 29 yards and had five special teams tackles. Clearly, he was another important piece to the unit that special teams coordinator Richard Hightower wanted back on the team.
Speaking of which, this move should tell you even more about how much say Hightower is getting in constructing the bottom of this roster. So far, the Bears have re-signed six unrestricted free agents, five of which have been core special teamers.
That means, the players coming back are coming back because Hightower specifically wanted them back. And all the other UFAs not returning are not returning because the new staff doesn't want them back in 2025.
With Homer specifically, this is solely a special teams move. In his two years in Chicago, Homer's only played 81 total offensive snaps, with six total carries and three total receptions, and 419 special teams snaps. So no, the return of Homer doesn't mean anything to the backfield or the plans to upgrade the position this offseason.
With the majority of the free agent signings behind us, the Bears still have yet to add another back to the room, confirming the suspicions that said addition will be brought in during the 2025 NFL Draft. That could mean Ashton Jeanty in the first-round, or one of the top remaining backs with one of the two second-round selections.
Homer's return does nothing to change that. But, Homer's return does prove even more that Hightower's voice is being heard when it comes to keeping his unit intact, and rightfully so.
Bears updated roster following free agent additions, including the top positions of need leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft
Here’s how the team currently looks in Chicago.
