As expected, the Chicago Bears had one of the strongest running games in the league in the first year of the Ben Johnson era. While they didn't have the most prominent RB room, Johnson's rushing attack was always a priority with the Detroit Lions.
A lot of that had to do with D'Andre Swift. The veteran ball-carrier had the best season of his career, and splitting carries with rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai helped keep him fresh and healthy throughout the season.
Given his age and steep salary, plus Monangai's surge, Swift was often tabbed as a trade candidate, both last season and in the offseason. However, Bears insider Brad Biggs believes the team actually wants to give him an extension.
The Bears may sign D'Andre Swift to a new deal before Week 1
“Is another extension a possibility before the season starts?” Biggs wrote. “If a deal is to be done before the September 13 opener at Carolina, D’Andre Swift is the player to keep an eye on. Swift is entering the final year of the three-year, $24 million contract he signed in free agency in 2024.”
On paper, this should be an easy decision. He's coming off averaging a whopping 4.9 yards per carry and logging his most scrimmage yards in a single season (1,386). Despite being on a committee, he rushed for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns to propel the league's third-best running game.
That said, not many running backs get better once they turn 27, which is why teams are often hesitant to sign them to a second lucrative deal once their first contract runs out. He signed a three-year, $24 million deal, so any new contract would most likely come with a steep raise.
Most analysts assumed the Bears would slowly but steadily give Monangai more touches to split reps more evenly in year two before making any final decisions regarding Swift's future. The team can afford to sign him to an extension, but they also have to think about Rome Odunze and Caleb Williams and their impending deals.
Still, it's become pretty clear that Johnson believes in a two-man running back committee. He wreaked havoc in Detroit with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs before taking his talents to the Windy City, where he ran a similar scheme.
Swift has said and done all the right things about wanting to stay in Chicago, dating back to all the trade rumors ahead of last year's deadline. That hasn't changed, and while he knows he can't control whether he's traded, he'd obviously rather stay put for the long run.
This won't be an easy decision to make, and there's a strong case to be made for either side. What's certain, though, is that the running game will continue to be paramount to this team's success, perhaps even more in year two of the Ben Johnson era.
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