One of the biggest topics of discussion around Chicago this offseason has been what the Bears' plan at running back will be. Following the hiring of Ben Johnson, many fans speculated that Chicago would trade running back D"Andre Swift. Given Swift was traded during Johnson's time with the Detroit Lions, that made sense.
That said, Johnson has been on record multiple times since becoming head coach, stating that he loves Swift and can't wait to work with him. As a result, Swift's trade rumors died down, and fans began looking at running backs in the draft.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was the first to catch everyone's eye after the season he had in 2024. However, some have projected that Jeanty will be drafted before the Bears pick at No. 10. Still, Bears fans came up with scenarios where Chicago lands the Boise State playmaker, whether it be through trades or him falling.
Nonetheless, most of the scenarios in which the Bears acquire Jeanty weren't realistic. Moe Moton from Bleacher Report added fuel to the potential of Chicago drafting Jeanty with his latest article that projects Chicago trades Swift to the Las Vegas Raiders for the No. 6 overall pick, possibly for Jeanty.
Bears Send D'Andre Swift to Raiders in Surprise New Trade
Moton's projected trade would have the Bears sending their 2025 first-round pick (No. 10), their 2025 third-round pick (No. 72), and D'Andre Swift to the Raiders for the No. 6 overall pick. Many Bears fans would be fine with this trade because Jeanty would be a Bear. Despite that, the trade wouldn't make much sense.
Ever since Johnson took over play calling in Detroit, he has run a backfield by committee. Sure, in his first year as the Lions offensive coordinator, it made sense to split carries between Jamaal Williams and Swift, as they had different skill sets. But, in 2023, the Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs, No. 11 overall, and he still split time with David Montgomery in his first two seasons.
While Gibbs and Montgomery do have different skill sets, usually when a running back is taken that high, they are the workhouse back. Given that's not how Johnson did it in Detroit, it's hard to see him doing that with Jeanty in Chicago.
Even though the Boise State product can presumably handle the workload, Johnson would likely want to keep him as fresh as possible throughout the season. Trading away Swift would not allow him to do that. Therefore, Moton's proposed trade is unlikely to happen.
Even if Chicago doesn't part with Swift, moving up to get Jeanty may still be in the cards. Regardless, the Bears will most certainly come out of the 2025 NFL draft with a running back.