The 4-2 Chicago Bears are in the thick of the playoff hunt under rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, but that might not stop them from executing a Khalil Herbert trade. A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Virginia Tech product overcame his underwhelming draft capital and immediately carved out a role for himself. Appearing in all 17 games while making two starts, Herbert finished his inaugural season with 433 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 103 carries. He built on that role in 2022 and 2023, splitting starting duties with a rotating supporting cast.
Now in the final year of his contract, Herbert fell down the depth chart and is now an afterthought in the offense. With Roschon Johnson and free agent signee D’Andre Swift taking all the touches, Herbert enters Week 7 with just eight carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. While he’s no superstar, Khalil Herbert is an adequate role player, and needy teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers could try and trade a late-round pick for his services.
Chargers, Chiefs, Cowboys Could Trade For Khalil Herbert
At 3-3, the Dallas Cowboys are stuck between tanking and contention. While their inability to compete against the NFL’s elite is a red flag, any team with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons should have the talent to make a playoff run. Owner Jerry Jones refuses to go all-in with this current team, but he won’t need to break the bank to trade for Khalil Herbert. The running back carries a minuscule $1.09 million cap hit this year, and the Cowboys would only take on a fraction of that number if they acquire him.
As currently constructed, the Cowboys might have the worst running back depth chart in football. Rico Dowdle is an unremarkable journeyman, while Ezekiel Elliott is well past his prime and isn’t useful for anything other than short-yardage work. With the former first-round pick reportedly upset over his limited usage, Dallas could rid themselves of a locker room distraction with a Khalil Herbert trade. Herbert and Dowdle won’t be the league’s most explosive backfield by any stretch of the imagination, but these two would be good enough to complement Prescott and the Cowboys passing attack.
AFC Options
Isiah Pacheco could be done for the season, which means the Chiefs could use more help at running back. Kareem Hunt found the Fountain of Youth, as the street free agent looked like his 2017 self over the past two weeks. Perhaps he can keep this up for a full season, but there is a very real chance that the 29-year-old running back slows down as the season progresses. This team could use another set of legs in the backfield, and a Khalil Herbert trade would make perfect sense for this offense.
Undrafted free agent Carson Steele stole the show in the preseason, but the UCLA product has not been able to bring that success to the regular season. Maybe he can figure it out in the future, but a Super Bowl contender shouldn’t put too much faith in the untested rookie. Current Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy selected Khalil Herbert when he was head coach of the Chicago Bears, which only increases the odds of a trade. Nagy knows what Herbert brings to the table, and Herbert should be able to learn Kansas City’s playbook quickly.
Main Photo: Troy Taormina – USA Today Sports
