LAKE FOREST, Ill. — After a career-best season in 2025 for D’Andre Swift, the Bears are locking in their running back for the long haul.
Swift, 27, and the Bears agreed to a three-year contract extension on Friday that will run through the 2029 season. The deal is worth up to $33.75 million, with $27.5 million guaranteed. ESPN reported the agreement first.
Selected 35th overall by the Detroit Lions in 2020 and dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, Swift signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Bears in 2024. In 2025, he set career highs in rushing yards (1,087), all-purpose yards (1,386) and rushing touchdowns (nine).
The CHGO staff reacts to the news…
Adam Hoge: When we talked to Swift at the Super Bowl in February, he wasn’t completely sure he was still going to be part of this thing this season. All he did was go to work and get better. This was easily his best training camp as a Bear and the extension makes a lot of sense to take care of before Sunday’s game.
Adam Jahns: This feels like months in the making. Ben Johnson has praised Swift at every opportunity. He loves him. He sees big things ahead for him in the Bears offense. It was just a matter of time and money. GM Ryan Poles suggested as much last month, too.
“This is where this job gets tough is really trying to figure out how you want to allocate everything, not only for now but into the future,” Poles said. “So we’ll have those conversations and see where we want to go from there. But I love Swifty. I love the way that he’s working.”
On Friday, they worked out a deal for him.
Mark Carman: Swift getting extended is further proof the Bears understand that having winners in their locker room matters. Swift is the quintessential hard worker who is going to make the most out of his ability as long as he plays the game. Swift is 27, so the extension takes him into his 30s. You don’t do that with a running back unless you believe in him on and off the field.
Ben Johnson is clearly a big believer in Swift, who set a career high in rushing yards last year despite getting 30 fewer carries than he did in 2024. Johnson knows how to use him. The locker room respects him. The extension feels like a safe bet on a quality player by Ryan Poles.
Patrick Norton: Swift is well liked in the locker room, by fans — and most importantly, by his coaches.
“What he’s done so far,” running backs coach Eric Studesville said at Halas Hall on Thursday, “is he’s positioned himself in the classroom, on the practice field, conditioning, maintenance-wise. I think he’s just put himself in position to have a great year. I love how he works. He’s been more impressive in person. I was already impressed with him on tape. You know, seeing him as around the league and doing things, but being around him every day, how he approaches it and what he does, is really impressive.”
The shelf life for a running back in the NFL isn’t very long. But Swift is healthy and believes his career is still ascending. And with Kyle Monangai to shoulder a portion of the load, there isn’t any reason he can’t make that ascension a reality.
Greg Braggs Jr: Swift made a strong case for Training Camp MVP this year. The lead back in a room that was one of the most productive running games in the NFL last year gets rewarded for his efforts. A message the rest of the young players on that roster can follow. Ben Johnson challenged Swift to become a more complete back last year and Swift answered the challenge.
When you pass the Ben Johnson test, good things happen — it’s that simple. A credit to Swift for continuing to evolve in his NFL career. The core of this offense is locked in for years to come. Exciting stuff.
