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Former Bears running back Demetric Felton.

A former Chicago Bears running back and wide receiver is retiring from the NFL and returning to his original team for a new job in his post-playing career.

On Tuesday, May 19, former Bears veteran running back Demetric Felton announced that he is retiring from playing football and moving on to a new chapter in his life, in which he will take on a new role in Player Development with the Cleveland Browns.

Felton spent time with the Bears in 2024 during their chaotic final season under former head coach Matt Eberflus, but he did not play many preseason snaps for them before they waived him during his limited stay on their training camp roster. He returned to their practice squad late in the regular season, but they waived him again after a week.

“I’m not retiring because I’m hurt. I’m not retiring because I don’t love this game,” Felton wrote May 19 in a statement posted to his Instagram account. “I’m retiring because I know there’s a football player out there who needs me. I’m retiring from professional football to take a role in Player Development with the Cleveland Browns.”

Demetric Felton’s Versatility Never Found a Fit in NFL

The Browns took a chance on Felton’s versatile upside when they selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft. He had largely played wide receiver at UCLA, but he converted to running back for his final season in 2020 and averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 132 touches. He also made an impression as an electric kickoff return specialist.

For the undersized Felton (5-foot-9, 189 pounds), though, it never quite worked out.

The Browns were more interested in using Felton as a pass-catcher than a ball-carrier when they got him in Cleveland for his rookie season. He caught 18 of his 21 targets for 181 yards and two touchdowns over 16 games as a rookie while also fielding 32 punts (7.1 yards per return) and nine kickoffs (19.1 yards per return) as a return specialist.

Felton never properly made his size work as a running back in the pros, though. He ran for just 24 yards on seven carries as a rookie and then lost four yards on his only carry in his second season with the Browns, who released him during roster cuts in 2023.

While Felton later spent time playing in the UFL and CFL, he never played another NFL snap despite receiving more opportunities to win roster spots with the Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders through the 2025 season.

Will Bears Add More Running Backs to 2026 Roster?

It is unlikely that Felton — who had been a free agent until his retirement — was on the Bears’ radar, but Chicago could explore other running back fits before training camp.

As things stand before OTAs, the Bears have two clear roster-locked running backs in veteran D’Andre Swift and 2025 standout Kyle Monangai, but the other spots — or spot, if they only keep three running backs — are ambiguous at this stage in the offseason.

Roschon Johnson is a former fourth-round pick with production on record with the Bears, but he has seemed to fall out of favor between his injury troubles over the past few seasons and the arrival of Ben Johnson’s new coaching staff. The problem with thinking Johnson’s spot is in danger, though, is that the competition is limited to Brittain Brown (2025 practice-squad member) and UDFA Coleman Bennett.

Now, perhaps the Bears are confident about that group, but it stands to reason that they might want more experienced competition fighting for the No. 3 spot behind their duo.

Joe Mixon and Najee Harris are both still on the free-agent market, but the money and desired roles of each veteran back might make a connection in Chicago unrealistic. An easier fit might be former superstar Austin Ekeler, who is coming off a season-ending injury in 2025 and, as a result, may find a lower-cost, prove-it deal more acceptable.