D’Andre Swift received a big contract extension prior to the 2026 season. It was well-deserved after his strong campaign a year ago. It felt like a sound decision. He is still in his prime and a great fit for Ben Johnson’s offense. His 3-TD game in the opener against Carolina certainly reinforced that. However, things can change fast in the NFL. One thing we’ve learned about Johnson is that he doesn’t let contract size or personal loyalty dictate his decisions on Sundays. He expects results and won’t reward you with snaps if you don’t deliver.
Swift had his first mistake of the season in week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings when he fumbled at the goal line. It cost the Bears what might’ve been a tone-setting score. This didn’t alter much with the backfield. It was a tough break in sloppy conditions. It happens. Swift got plenty of action against Philadelphia without incident—nothing to see here.
Unfortunately, the calm didn’t last long. On a crystal clear day against the New York Jets, Swift lost another fumble. This time, it came in the 3rd quarter while deep in Bears territory. This gave the Jets premium field position, which they turned into a field goal.
D’Andre Swift paid the price for it.
The running back never saw the field after that play. He went to the sideline while Kyle Monangai finished the game for the Bears. Some wondered if the Swift was hurt. He did seem to get up slowly after the fumble. Perhaps that is why he never came out. Maybe Coach Johnson was just being cautious. He was asked about the decision after the game ended. Johnson didn’t even try to dance around the question. The coach left no doubts. Swift wasn’t held out because of an injury.
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That is a pretty ice-cold response. There is no room for misinterpretation. D’Andre Swift was basically benched for the rest of the game. It was not an accident. Johnson wanted to send a message. As good as Swift has been in the past several months, it doesn’t make him immune to accountability. If you keep making costly mistakes like those fumbles, this staff won’t let you back on the field. Monagai certainly appreciated it. He finished with 30 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Swift better get this issue figured out.
It’s not like the Bears’ schedule gets any easier moving forward. Green Bay is up next, followed by Atlanta, Seattle, and New England. These are some pretty good defensive teams. All of them are quite adept at forcing turnovers. You can bet they’ll have Swift well-scouted and start punching at the football every chance they get. There isn’t any time for him to ruminate on this. He must get it figured out and fixed as soon as possible. Otherwise, Johnson will be forced to shift the bulk of the carries over to Monangai.
This is another reminder that the Bears’ head coach has at least one thing figured out. There can’t be any place for favoritism, not when the fate of games is on the line. As good as Swift is, he’s a liability if he keeps putting the ball on the ground. Johnson won’t give to players he can’t trust. What happens in Green Bay may determine what awaits the running back the rest of this year.
