(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski , USA TODAY Sports)
LAKE FOREST, Ill., — D'Andre Swift's first season with the Chicago Bears in 2024 didn't get off to a fast start. The free-agent signing started slow, averaging under two yards a carry in the first three games. While that number jumped as the season went on, it wasn't the campaign he had hoped for in terms of personal success or team success.
But going into 2025, he's ready to change that.
"A lot of stuff. Didn't end how I wanted to, selfishly for me, how I played. As a team, kind of the same thing," Swift said on Tuesday when he met the media. "We won (five) games last year, so everything's under a microscope when you don't have team success, but I'm being very critical of how I played last year. Excited about this year."
Swift finished last season with 959 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt while playing in all 17 games. Still, the Bears contemplated adding another running back to the backfield early in the draft with reports suggesting they liked Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson before he went to the New England Patriots at No. 38 overall.
Instead, the Bears waited until the seventh round when they selected running back Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers. Even with that addition to the backfield, Swift is expected to be the lead back this season. Even so, Swift wasn't fazed by the rumors and his mindset wasn't changing.
"Whatever they were going to do, my mindset wasn't going to change," Swift said. "If they brought somebody in, if they do or they don't, my mindset was to come in and go to work, and to be undeniable, to be honest with you."
With a new offense led by head coach Ben Johnson, Swift will get the chance to shine. This will be his second stint with Johnson, although he was the offensive coordinator for Swift in Detroit. With how Johnson likes to deploy his running backs, Swift should see the field a lot and he's excited for that chance and the opportunity to play under him again.
"The offense we have and all the concepts and the run game and all of the different stuff that he's doing, he's one of the smartest football minds I've ever been around," Swift said. "He's really, really intelligent. It's a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff."
The Bears do have a lot of weapons on offense, building around quarterback Caleb Williams. Getting the individual stats is nice but the team winning is more important for Swift, and he's ready to embrace his role, whatever it is.
"Whenever the opportunity presents itself, just make the most of it. Whatever I have to do. If I'm blocking for DJ (Moore) to get the ball, for Cole (Kmet) to get the ball, we'll have team success. Whatever the play-call is, just execute and do your job. The ball will find you."