Swift led the way with 124 rushing yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns — the first hat trick of his seven-year NFL career. His standout performance comes on the heels of the three-year contract extension that Swift signed Saturday morning before the Bears took off for Charlotte.
"He's had a good week, huh?" coach Ben Johnson joked in his postgame press conference. "I mean, he earned it, every step of it. We really value what he brings to the table. He's had a great spring, a great training camp, and so I don't think anybody in our building is surprised that he's out of the gate in a strong fashion."
Last season under Johnson, whom he spent nearly three years with in Detroit, Swift experienced his best season yet, recording career-highs with 1,087 yards and nine rushing touchdowns.
"All glory to God, first and foremost, for allowing me to be in this position, but to be able to stick around with this group of guys is something special, something I don't take for granted, being able to go and work alongside Ben," Swift told reporters Sunday. "Just thankful, grateful for the opportunity to continue to work."
With his extremely productive season-opening performance, Swift is well on his way to eclipsing his 2025 numbers and helping the Bears be a top rushing offense for a second consecutive year.
"He's a golden star because he can do everything," quarterback Caleb Williams said of Swift. "He can catch, he can block, obviously he can run downhill, he can run wide zone, he can run tosses and things like that. Give him the edge, and from there, he's not only getting first downs, he's trying to take them to the crib. He's a special player. Happy we've got him for the next three years."
While Swift certainly proved why the Bears wanted to lock him up past this season, the extension did not affect the Philadelphia native's mindset against the Panthers.
"I feel like I'm just getting started, man," Swift said. "I'm just grateful to be able to keep going with these guys. My mindset wasn't going to change, whether there was something done or not.
"I've got something to prove every day I wake up."
Swift played a pivotal role in sparking the Bears offense after a fumble cut their opening drive short. On their second possession, Swift carried the ball four times, and on first-and-10 from Carolina's 45-yard line, turned what would have been a seven-yard carry into a 32-yard pickup by fighting through a tackle and spinning away from a Panthers defender to get the Bears into the red zone. Two plays later, the Bears reached the end zone for the first of eight touchdowns.