The Chicago Bears' offensive coaching staff is working through major changes. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy left the Windy City to return to the Kansas City Chiefs to be their offensive coordinator, and the Bears replaced him with Eric Studesville.
They also have a new offensive coordinator, as Declan Doyle left to join the Baltimore Ravens' new coaching staff. Ben Johnson promoted pass game coordinator Press Taylor to fill that vacancy. However, while the names and ideas will be new, it looks like D'Andre Swift will be safe.
D'Andre Swift Might Not Leave Chicago
For most of the season, D'Andre Swift's future with the organization was in question. He's a good running back, but not a superstar, and with rookie Kyle Monangai showing signs of promise, he looked like a solid trade chip or even cut candidate. That may no longer be the case.
The Bears' running game got off to a slow start this season, but they were stout once they got it together. As a team, they averaged 144.5 rushing yards per game, the third-most in the league. That's not something you want to mess with.
Swift amassed 1,087 rushing yards on 223 attempts, averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry. He also had nine rushing touchdowns and hauled in 34 receptions on 48 targets for 299 yards (8.8 yards per catch) and another touchdown.
Monangai showed glimpses of greatness, and he should embrace a primary role once he gets more experience under his belt. However, he closed out the season on a low note, so they may not feel as comfortable moving on from Swift to make him the lead back right now. Also, cutting Swift would only free up $1.6 million in cap space, which would not make a huge difference.
Bieniemy may no longer be in town, and there might be a new offensive coordinator, but the offense will remain pretty much the same. Ben Johnson's hands will continue to be all over that unit, and he's not going to give up play-calling duties.
The Bears' offense wasn't the problem. If anything, they should only get better once they're back to full strength and with another season under Johnson's tutelage. This team needs to make some tweaks, but they should focus on the defensive side of the field instead, and there's no objective reason to move on from Swift now.