D'Andre Swift Bears
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D'Andre Swift was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 35th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia.
The Chicago Bears are entering an offseason in which they hope to find thefinal pieces they need to complete a championship roster. Amid the areas that need adjustments, the running back room isn’t one of them.
The Bearsranked third in rushing efficiency last season. On average, they recorded 4.9 yards per carry across 2,456 total rushing yards.
The lead of their backfield was running back D’Andre Swift, who completed his second year with the organization and his sixth year in the league. Now entering the final year of hiscontract with the Bears, Swift shared his thoughts on his future with the team.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times,Swift stated, “Hopefully I did enough for them to want me back because I know I don’t want to go anywhere else. I hope it plays itself out that way. I love the city, I love the coaching staff and the men that I work with. That’s out of my control, but if I had it my way, I’d be back. I don’t want to play nowhere else.”
Chicago Bears Will Require D’Andre Swift to Prove His Worth Again In 2025
D'Andre Swift Stats
GettyChicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 299 yards and a score through the air in 2025.
D’Andre Swift is still only 27 years old despite the Bears being the third team he’s played on in his career. He began his career in Detroit with the Lions in 2020, where he first met Ben Johnson, who, at the time, was the tight ends coach.
Johnson was promoted to the offensive coordinator in 2022, and Swift’s play improved. Across 99 attempts, Swift averaged 5.5 yards per carry, the highest mark of his career. However, following that season, Swift was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles before being reunited with Johnson last year.
Johnson’s inclusion once again significantly impacted Swift’s play as his yards per carry boosted from 3.8 in 2024 to 4.9 in 2025. While Johnson’s scheme certainly affected Swift’s success, Swift credited Johnson beyond that. “First of all, Ben always believed in me as a player, so just him giving me opportunities was great,”Swift said. “The more opportunities I’m given, the more I can make stuff happen.”
Swift will have to continue to produce on the opportunities he’s provided if he hopes to remain with the team beyond next season.
Despite him recording his second 1,000-yard rushing campaign, he is likely to get a reduced workload in 2026 due to the breakout season of his running mate.
Kyle Monangai Expected to Limit Swift’s Touches Next Year
Kyle Monagai Stats
GettyChicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries while adding 164 yards through the air in 2025.
Establishing the run game is crucial for Ben Johnson’s offense to work at its full potential. D’Andre Swift was only half of the answer to solving last year’s rushing success.
Rookie running back Kyle Monangai provided the perfect compliment to Swift’s rushing attack. While both backs are capable of playing in each other’s style, Swift preferred to bounce rushes to the outside, while Monangai preferred going downhill between the tackles.
This thunder and lightning approach is very similar to what the Lions ran in2022 with Swift and Jamaal Williams.
However, despite racking up 2,070 total yards as a duo in that2022 season, the Lions still chose to move off of Swift and Williams the following year. They then produced an even better season in2023 with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs racking up 2,393 total yards.
If Johnson feels as though he can improve the players within his system, he may be inclined to do so once again in 2027 if Swift’s production takes a hit next year.
Monagai’s workload increased as the season progressed, and it’s only natural to assume that his role will continue to rise next year.
Swift hopes to be even better in year two of Johnson’s system and admitted that he can be more involved.
“I can do more,” he said. “I wish I would’ve been able to contribute a little more in the passing game. We’ve got so many pass-catchers on the field, so whenever it does come up, I try to make something happen with it, but I do know I could do more.”
Only time will tell if Swift is able to fully establish himself as the running back of the future of the Bears organization, but extra motivation in a contract year can’t hurt as the team looks to make a run at Super Bowl LXI.