Jordan Howard says goodbye to Bears fans

The Chicago Bears did the expected Thursday when they traded running back Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles for a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and Howard took to Twitter Friday to say goodbye to Bears fans.

Although it was brief, the past three years were truly an amazing experience… a great city, fan base and team. I’d like to thank the entire organization for giving me the opportunity to launch my NFL career and make lifelong memories as a member of the storied Chicago Bears. pic.twitter.com/MnqvOUzs5F

— Jordan Howard (@JHowardx24) March 29, 2019

Howard became an instant fan favorite in Chicago when he set the Bears’ rookie rushing record in 2016 (1,313 yards) and became the first running back in team history to begin a career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Howard finished second in the NFL in rushing as a rookie and was a top-five back again in 2017, but his miscast in Matt Nagy’s offense made him expendable after 2018 produced career lows in rushing yards and yards per carry.

And while it certainly hurts to see him leave, the Bears obviously have a plan to improve the production from the running back position. The 2019 NFL draft just got a lot more interesting.