Even though the Chicago Bears have reunited quarterback Jay Cutler with wide receiver Brandon Marshall, first-year offensive coordinator Mike Tice is committed to the running game.
So much so that when Michael Bush was signed to a four-year, $14 million contract that included $7 million in guaranteed money in March, Tice informed the former Oakland Raider that he wants him and Matt Forte to each run for over 1,000 yards this season, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
"He said he wanted to do it, and I said, 'Well, you got the right two people' ", Bush recently said.
As the Sun-Times notes, just six teams in NFL history have had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. That feat did not occur once from 1986-2005 and one of those 1,000-yard duos included a quarterback (Michael Vick) with the 2006 Atlanta Falcons.
Forte would have topped 1,000 yards had he not injured his knee late in the season, and Bush would have eclipsed that mark had he been the No. 1 back in Oakland's offense for the entire season. But that doesn't mean both can remain as productive now that they're in the same offense, in which the best weapon remains Cutler's right arm.
If Forte can run for 1,100 yards, and Bush can add 600 to 700 yards as the No. 2, the Bears could have a balanced offense that would make them very dangerous if they make the postseason.
Follow Brian McIntyre on Twitter _@brianmcintyre_.
