Chicago Bears running backs Khalil Hebert, D'Onta Foreman, and Roschon Johnson will be three of the most intensely viewed players once training starts on July 25.
The Bears have yet to name a starting running back, instead erring on the side of "we'll see" when asked who the RB1 will be.
Coach Matt Eberflus has maintained a default response whenever his running back rotation was addressed this offseason.
"It's a balance," Eberflus said. "You got to be able to feel it out, look at the skill and assess that, what they're good at, and put those guys in position to do those jobs."
The Bears already know what Herbert is good at. He possesses exceptional vision and can flip the field once he navigates beyond the second level.
They should have a good feel for what Foreman does well too. General manager Ryan Poles signed him to a one-year, $2 million deal in free agency. He's a hard-charging between-the-tackles runner with enough juice to threaten defensive backs.
Neither veteran excels as a pass-blocker, but that's where fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson comes in. While not as schooled of a runner as the two vets, Johnson is a physical pass-protector who warrants immediate attention on passing downs.
Three players with three different but complementary skill sets. Perhaps that's why there's no clear starter?
"I think we'll just let that play out," Eberflus said.
Maybe the Chicago Bears intend on letting the running back depth chart play out on a weekly basis. Ride the hot hand and reset every game.
A running back by committee would be nothing new for the Bears. They did it during David Montgomery's tenure in Chicago. He rotated every third series (for the most part) with Herbert over the last two years.
There just happens to be an extra committee member in 2023.
Herbert will get the first crack at RB1. Foreman will be an RB1B. For Johnson to get a real shot to be the lead dog, he'll have to make a big impact in the first few weeks of camp.
For fantasy football managers, this is a nightmare. For traditional Chicago Bears fans, running back will be the most fun position to monitor this summer.
The bad news is we still may not know how the carries will be distributed when the Bears kick off their season in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. The good news? Chicago has three talented running backs who are each capable of being starters if called upon.
Depth matters at running back. The Chicago Bears have that in spades, even if no clear starter emerges.