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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 08: General Manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field on September 08, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have a lot of work to do this offseason, and not just regarding bringing in and retaining players.
Chicago has already lost running backs coach Eric Bieniemy to the Kansas City Chiefs, where Bieniemy will have a second stint as the team’s offensive coordinator.
“I’ve always said he’s a great leader of men, whether it’s coaches, players,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “I think he does a heck of a job there.”
Now that Bieniemy is gone, the Bears are looking for their next running backs coach, and one name is starting to pick up some steam: Eric Studesville.
Bears Linked to Eric Studesville Amid Recent Dolphins News
GettyEric Studesville and Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins look on during a preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Studesville has been coaching in the NFL ever since 1997, when he was with the Bears as an offensive quality control coach. Since then, he’s been an RBs coach for the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins.
However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins are expected to hire former Giants RB coach Ladell Betts as the team’s next RB coach. Studesville has been Miami’s RB coach since 2018 (2021, he was the offensive coordinator, then went back to RB coach the following season). Looks like he’ll be able to find a new gig soon.
On January 26th, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune connected Studesville as a potential option for the Bears, saying, “Worked for the team from 1997-2000. More importantly, worked two seasons with Ben Johnson in Miami. Studesville has a wealth of experience and has always been well regarded.”
It would make sense for the Bears to hire a running backs coach with over 20 years of experience specifically coaching RBs.
What’s the Bears’ Plan at Running Back This Offseason?
The Bears enjoyed having one of the top running back tandems in the NFL in 2025. In fact, D’Andre Swift (1,087) and Kyle Monangai (783) were the only RB duo in the NFL to both rush for at least 750 yards in 2025. The only other time two Bears accomplished the feat was in 1978 with Hall of Famer Walter Payton (1,395) and fullback Roland Harper (992).
So before anyone complains about the Bears not having enough talent at running back, there’s your answer.
Regardless, Chicago could still look to add another face to the backfield, either through free agency or the draft.
Some of the top free agent RBs include Breece Hall, Travis Etienne Jr., Kenneth Walker III, Javonte Williams, Rico Dowdle, and Kenneth Gainwell. But with the Bears having negative $17.4 million in cap space as of January 28th, it’s hard to imagine the team would go after a high-profile free agent RB.
Instead, the more likely option is finding one in the draft, like how the Bears were able to find Monangai in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Some of the top RB prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to multiple ESPN draft analysts, are the following:
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
Jonah Coleman, Washington
Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
Kaytron Allen, Penn State
There could be a huge possibility that Studesville is coaching up one of these running back prospects in the coming months.
Isaac Zuniga is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders. More about Isaac Zuniga
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