The Chicago Bears got their most important piece of business done this past month when they locked up right tackle Darnell Wright to a contract extension. He is now under contract for the next five seasons, solidifying the anchor of their offensive line. With that, most people presumed that the team was done with any extension talks until next year. That is, unless they decided to work out a deal with defensive tackle Gervon Dexter or cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Neither felt likely given their shaky status with the coaching staff. However, it appears another name is gaining steam: D’Andre Swift.
That may seem odd at first. It’s easy to forget the running back is in the last year of his current deal. Most probably assumed the team would see how this season plays out and decide what to do then. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears might be considering a less dramatic approach.
“If a deal is to be done before the Sept. 13 opener at Carolina, D’Andre Swift is the player to keep an eye on. Swift is entering the final year of the three-year, $24 million contract he signed in free agency in 2024.
Swift could go from being a player who a lot of folks wondered might not be a fit for new coach Ben Johnson to emerging as a building block for the near future.”
Swift had the best season of his career in 2025, posting career highs with 1,087 yards and 9 touchdowns. He’s also just 27 years old. His 1,069 carries are also on the lower end for a running back his age. Usually it’s somewhere between 1200 and 1400. So he has more tread on the tires than normal.
D’Andre Swift has helped his case in training camp.
By all accounts, the running back has looked fantastic. He’s in great shape, looks as fast as ever, and is meshing with Ben Johnson’s system like peanut butter with jelly. Optimism has never been higher. Rather than worry about finding alternatives next year, the Bears may feel like they like their running back room as is. The duo of Swift and Kyle Monangai produced the #3 rushing attack in the league last season. Why mess with that when they can devote their resources to more pressing positions?
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It’s not like the extension will be overly expensive. D’Andre Swift is set to make $8 million this season. He’ll probably be looking for around $12 million per year, which is what Travis Etienne and Josh Jacobs are currently making. That provides a nice $4 million pay raise and still keeps Swift in a manageable cap situation for the Bears. A two-year extension would maintain three years of control, with the deal expiring before his 30th birthday, when running backs usually start winding down.
Swift is one of Ryan Poles’ free agent success stories.
Make no mistake, the Bears’ general manager has a rough track record with lots of his deals on the veteran market. However, his signing of the running back, which many called too expensive at the time, turned out to be a major hit for the team. The same was true of safety Kevin Byard. Give the man credit. Landing a quality running back in free agency and then keeping him long enough to extend is exceedingly rare. In fact, no one the Bears have signed ever accomplished that feat. Thomas Jones came the closest in the mid-2000s, but he was traded to New York before it could happen.
If there is an extension, it will likely occur before opening day next month. The Bears won’t want to conduct such business during the season. If nothing materializes, expect talks to re-engage after the season concludes early next year. Presuming Swift stays healthy and has another productive season, he’ll be in line to get that final big payday many veterans aren’t lucky enough to land, especially at his position.
