The Chicago Bears reportedly extended a key player right before their Week 1 game against the Carolina Panthers. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Chicago signed D'Andre Swift to a three-year, $33.75 million contract with $27.5 million guaranteed. The running back was slated to enter the final season of a three-year, $24 million pact signed before the 2024 campaign.
Swift spent three seasons with the Detroit Lions and one with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Bears. The 2023 Pro Bowler has registered 2,731 scrimmage yards and 16 touchdowns in 33 regular-season games for Chicago, and he notched 168 yards and a score in last season's two playoff bouts. Swift set career highs with 1,087 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns under first-year head coach Ben Johnson last season.
The Bears finished sixth in total offense, their highest ranking since 2013. Caleb Williams lost one top playmaker when the Bears traded wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, but Swift and 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai return to steer last year's No. 3 rushing attack. Chicago helped preserve a strong ground game by locking down Darnell Wright to a four-year, $116 million extension, making him the highest-paid right tackle in NFL history.
Johnson, who also coached Swift as Detroit's offensive coordinator in 2022, forecasted another strong season from the 27-year-old. "This is the best I've seen him this time of year," Johnson said two weeks ago. "You look back a year ago.
He was very explosive, and yet it takes a little while to gel between him and the offensive line. I think he's accelerating his vision here at this point. Coach [Eric] Studesville has been fantastic for him, just with the reads and being able to know the intent of where we're trying to hit things.
He bounces it when we're supposed to bounce it. He hits it right on the spot when it's there, and then he cuts it up. He's doing a really good job right now.
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