Swift helps Williams get comfortable
© Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
In 2022 and 2023, the Chicago Bears finished first and second in rushing, respectively. A big reason for that, though, was the running of quarterback Justin Fields. Fields led the team in rushing in both seasons.
With Fields with the Pittsburgh Steelers now, the offense needed to continue the success on the ground. Fields’ replacement, Caleb Williams, is not the runner that Fields was. Since Williams is a rookie with a lot of hope resting on his shoulders, he needs a good rushing attack to take some pressure off of him.
As a result, Poles made picking up a running back a priority. His first free agency signing when the new league year began was a running back. Shortly after free agency began, D’Andre Swift became a member of the Chicago Bears.
While many felt that the Swift signing was shocking, the fact that the Bears needed a strong running game precipitated Poles’ move. He knew he had his quarterback and gave the rookie improved protection and a variety of weapons. He needed a good running game to help in his development.
Swift is coming off the first Pro Bowl season of his career. He had 1,263 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns. He is a dual threat out of the backfield, being able to catch passes as well as running the ball.
With a stronger offensive line in front of him, Swift can build on last season and become even better. He will be great for Williams’ development. With Swift (as well as Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson) running well, defenses will try to crowd the line of scrimmage, opening up space for Williams to throw.
Additionally, Swift can be a security blanket. We already saw in the preseason how Williams was under pressure. He dumped the ball to Swift who took it for a huge gain. The hope is we see a few more plays like that.
Prediction: Swift runs for 1,136 rushing yards, and 5 rushing touchdowns. He adds 387 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
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