The Chicago Bears surprised some people around the NFL by extending running back D’Andre Swift ahead of the regular season opener against the Carolina Panthers, but the top decision-makers in the organization defended the choice over the weekend.
Both head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles commented the $33.75 million agreement on Saturday, September 12.
“D’Andre is vital to everything we do at the Chicago Bears, both on the field and off,” Johnson said, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “A fierce competitor and a loyal teammate, D’Andre provides when called upon and does not relent when adversity strikes. As we continue to build our team and prepare for the road ahead, we are proud that Swifty is a Chicago Bear, now and moving forward.”
Johnson was the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator back in 2023, when the team decided to trade Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of a plan to draft RB Jahmyr Gibbs. Swift went on to make a Pro Bowl after his one year in Philly before inking a three-year deal with Poles and the Bears worth $24 million in 2024.
D’Andre Swift Produced Career-High Numbers Last Season
Poles also offered Swift a resounding endorsement following a 2025 campaign in which the running back produced career highs of 1,087 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs.
“We are excited for D’Andre and we are proud that he will remain a member of the Chicago Bears,” Poles said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.
“Throughout the offseason and training camp, D’Andre’s work ethic, passion and connection with our team and his teammates have never wavered, which can be challenging for a player entering the final year of their contract,” the Bears GM continued. “D’Andre epitomizes the values of the culture that we are building through his professionalism, consistency and the way the he supports his teammates and everyone around him every single day.”
Bears Criticized for Paying D’Andre Swift More Than Dolphins Paid to Keep De’Von Achane
Chicago has now secures its offensive backfield for perhaps the next three years, at least, with the 27-year-old Swift under contract through 2029 and former seventh-round pick and rookie standout Kyle Monangai entering Year 2 in the league.
Swift is a talented veteran who is by no means too old for the type of contract he just received. And Johnson’s offensive philosophy starts with establishing a dominant run game, so the deal makes plenty of sense on the surface.
Where it is perhaps a little bit surprising, beyond Johnson’s history of already trading Swift once, is the amount of money the team guaranteed a player at what can be a dangerously volatile position with regards to sustained health.
“D’Andre Swift got MORE guaranteed money on his newest contract extension than De’Von Achane did this offseason 🤯,” Underdog posted to its X account.
“I like D’Andre Swift — I think he’s a solid veteran running back — but I do NOT think he should have gotten more guaranteed money than De’Von Achane,” John Frascella captioned a repost of Underdog’s info graphic.
Bears Could Have Gone Cheaper by Drafting RB in 2027, Used D’Andre Swift Money to Rebuild Defense
Chicago may have overpaid a bit for Swift, but they know what they’re getting and have proof of concept with him as RB1 after finishing third in the league in rushing yards per game last season, so the Swift-Achane value discussion is perhaps quibbling over something rather unimportant.
The greater potential concern is the value difference between how much Chicago will pay Swift and what type of production the team might have found in the middle rounds of the 2027 draft in a far less expensive replacement.
Johnson and Poles have already shown an acumen for identifying RB talent. Johnson saw the potential in Gibbs in 2023, which is why he traded Swift in the first place, and Gibbs just became the highest-paid RB in NFL history. Meanwhile, Poles signed Swift to a sizable deal in 2024 that has paid off.
And both of them teamed up to identify Monangai’s value in the last round of the 2025 draft. It is reasonable to believe that Chicago could have identified a value prospect on late Day 2 or early/mid-Day 3 for a fraction of Swift’s price and then used the leftover cash to address the team’s many defensive needs.
Bears Defend Controversial D’Andre Swift Decision After Big Extension