Cornwell and Benson's agent, Eugene Parker, now have the task of finding employment for a running back coming off ankle surgery, two alcohol-related arrests and enough baggage to need a valet. Somebody will sign Benson, whether it's the familiar Houston Texans or the halfway home for troubled millionaires known as the Dallas Cowboys. First-round draft picks always get second, and sometimes third chances in the NFL.
He simply ran out of chances in Chicago, and the Bears ran out of patience.
They will miss him like a migraine headache. Even before the arrests, Benson was no lock to make the roster. His failure forced the team to draft another running back, Matt Forte, in the second round to replace him. Adrian Peterson can provide a serviceable effort as Forte's backup. Garrett Wolfe needs to progress.
If the Bears find a suitable veteran off an NFL scrap heap and want to take a look, great. If not, it's not like a backup running back is going to make a difference between 7-9 and 5-11.
In the end, that's all Benson was: a backup running back. He wasn't built like one or paid like one, but he ran like one.
That makes him arguably the biggest draft bust in Bears history, a Texas-sized miscalculation bigger than any other the franchise has made.