With Vikings running back Chester Taylor set to hit the free-agent market at 11:01 p.m. Thursday, it appears at least one NFC North team (and maybe more) could be in the market for his services.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears are believed to be interested in Taylor and that he could compete with Matt Forte for the starting job. Others teams tossed around as possibilities at the NFL Scouting Combine were Detroit, Philadelphia, San Diego and Seattle.

Taylor, 30, is getting up in years for an NFL running back, but the fact he has been a backup for much of his career means he doesn't have the wear and tear on his body of most players his age. This makes it an interesting situation for Taylor, who had only 94 rushing attempts this past season.

The Vikings would like to have Taylor back but he would return as a third-down specialist, a role he has played in recent seasons behind Adrian Peterson. There is a good chance that a team would be willing to give Taylor more money than the Vikings are willing to offer because his playing time in a place such as Chicago or San Diego would be greater than it would be in Minnesota.