Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but it may not be enough to save his job. Following a disappointing first campaign with the Bears, the former second-round pick thrived under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Starting and appearing in 16 games, the six-year veteran finished the 2025 season with a career-high 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 223 attempts to go along with 34 receptions for 299 yards and a touchdown. With his help, Chicago won the NFC North and made it to the Divisional Round before losing a heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Rams.
Swift proved he can be a productive part of this offense, but is he worth the money? The running back currently carries an $8.8 million cap hit, and Chicago can save $7.47 million by releasing him. It’s relatively easy to find a replacement-level running back, especially for a coach like Ben Johnson. A release is certainly possible, but D’Andre Swift is hoping to stay with the Bears.
“I have no idea, but hopefully I did enough for them to want me back because I know I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Swift said. “That’s out of my control, but if I had it my way, I’d be back. I don’t want to play nowhere else.”
D’Andre Swift Speaks On Uncertain Bears Future
The NFL is a business at the end of the day, and the Bears might not be able to afford D’Andre Swift at his current cap number. The team is currently $5.3 million over the 2026 salary cap, which means they must create spending money before they even think about adding outside help. Releasing Swift would bring the team to cap compliance, and it’s hard to argue against that much savings.
This could also come down to how the team feels about seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai. The Rutgers product easily outplayed his draft status, appearing in all 17 games while recording 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 169 attempts. Monangai won’t receive a full workhorse role if the Bears release D’Andre Swift, but he will have the inside path to a starting job and could be paired with a cheaper option like impending free agent Tyler Allgeier.
Ultimately, only time will tell what happens with D’Andre Swift and the Chicago Bears. The 2026 league year begins on March 11th, and the Bears will need to make a decision before then.
Main Photo: David Banks – Imagn Images