Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift came aboard to help shore up the running game. However, he is also becoming an asset in the passing game.
With the trade of Justin Fields, the Chicago Bears needed an impact player in the running game. Despite being a quarterback, Fields led the team in rushing yards the last two seasons. Now that he is not there, they need someone who could take over the main runner and eat up those yards. Enter D’Andre Swift.
General Manager Ryan Poles felt so strongly about this sentiment that his first free-agent signing was Swift. Minutes into free agency Swift was signed and sealed. At three years, $24 million ($15.3 million guaranteed), some felt it was a bit of an overpayment. However, his $8 million per year average only ranks seventh among running backs.
Swift is coming off his first Pro Bowl season last year. He rushed for 1,049 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He also had 5 rushing touchdowns. He was the Detroit Lions’ second-round pick in 2020. In 2023, the Lions traded him to his hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles. He responded with a stellar season.
Now the Chicago Bears hope he continues his stellar play with them. They hope his running game helps take some pressure off of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. A strong running game keeps the opponents honest. If they have to worry about a successful running game, they will start to pack the box around the line of scrimmage. That opens up space downfield for the deadly receivers and tight ends.
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D’Andre Swift will help Williams in another way, however. He is a versatile player who can be an asset in the passing game as well. That is something that made him attractive to Poles and the Chicago Bears. In his three seasons with the Lions, he had 156 catches for 1,198 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. He had 39 catches for 214 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles last season.
Williams can feel confident throwing to Swift on screens or swing passes and know that he will make the play.
Swift’s catching ability has been on display during training camp. There was a throw by Brett Rypien on a screen pass. Rypien threw over the offensive linemen but seemed it was too high for the 5-foot-9 Swift. He reached up and made a one-handed catch and took off downfield. It was evidence of how good Swift can be in the passing game.
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The Chicago Bears want to use Swift similarly to how the Lions did. He was an asset on both areas of the offense. Meanwhile, Philadelphia seemed to shy away from using him in the passing game. In the final six games of the regular season the Eagles practically ignored him. He had only six catches for 17 yards in that time.
Swift is ready to show his abilities both as a runner and as a receiver. He wants to show how good he really is and how much of a weapon he could become.
Whatever I’m asked to do, I’m going to do that 100% to my ability. I wasn’t asked to run routes as much (with the Eagles). That’s fine. I’m going to show different elements of my game. I feel like I can do whatever.
The new offensive coordinator is happy to have someone as talented as Swift to work with. He likes to tailor his offense to his players’ skillsets so he will emphasise that with Swift. He sees Swift not just as a screens-type of pass catcher. He feels that Swfit can run routes downfield as well.
Different running backs are going to have different skill sets,’’ Waldron said. ‘‘Swift has shown that ability, being an excellent route-runner in a lot of different phases of the pass game.
Swift is showing all of that during training camp. He will try to show some of it in a limited matter during preseason games. When the regular season starts, though, he wants to go all out and use his skills to hurt opponents.
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