After going 5-12 in 2024, the Chicago Bears under new head coach Ben Johnson rebounded and finished first in the NFC North (11-6) for the first time since 2018.
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The Bears’ success is thanks to Johnson’s offensive mind, as the Bears have the sixth-best offense in the NFL (369.5 yards). The Bears also had the third-best rushing offense (144.5 yards), thanks to their two backs, D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
Swift enters the final year of his contract with the Bears ($1.33 million) and had the best season of his career last season, rushing for 1,087 yards (223 carries) and nine touchdowns. Doing so well and with his future uncertain, Swift hopes he “did enough” to make the Bears want him.
“I have no idea, but hopefully I did enough for them to want me back because I know I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Swift told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I hope it plays itself out that way. I love the city, I love the coaching staff and the men that I work with. That’s out of my control, but if I had it my way, I’d be back. I don’t want to play nowhere else.”
D’Andre Swift enters a prove-it season to try to stay with the Chicago Bears
For the Bears to consider keeping Swift around long-term, like he wants, he’ll need to replicate the same season he had, as he only has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons under his belt — 2023 being the other, 1,049 yards. Swift’s resurgence is all credited to Johnson, who he said, “believes in me.”
“First of all, Ben always believed in me as a player, so just him giving me opportunities was great,” Swift said. “The more opportunities I’m given, the more I can make stuff happen.”
Even though Swift had a resurgence in his career under Johnson, he’ll be fighting to get carries, as Monangai had a breakout rookie year, rushing for 783 yards (169 carries) and five touchdowns. Swift will have to show once again that he’s the back the Bears saw in 2025 to get the extension he’s looking for.
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