When Ben Johnson left his post as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator to become the Chicago Bears' head coach in 2025, he reunited with former Lions' running back D'Andre Swift. Based on their shared history in Detroit, as Swift was persistently banged up and was eventually traded, it felt likely to be a short-term marriage.
At minimum, the reunion was very unlikely to go beyond the term of the three-year deal Swift signed with the Bears in 2024.
Then Swift went out and had the best season of his career by many measures last season. Heading into the final year of his original deal with the Bears, he is looking poised for something of a repeat after a strong training camp.
As it turns out, Swift won't need to prove himself worthy of a second contract from the Bears' during the season. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, two days away from the season opener, the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $33.75 million contract extension that includes $27.5 million guaranteed.
As Schefter noted, this is the 27-year old Swift's third NFL contract. It's also fairly rare for a running back to get two notable contracts. He will be 28 when his new deal starts in 2027, and he is now under contract through 2029; his age-30 season.
Lions fans should expect D'Andre Swift to continue his career revival under Ben Johnson
The devil will be in the details when it comes to Swift's new deal with the Bears. But we can comfortably assume it's a fairly firm commitment for two more seasons beyond this one, with a palatable out in the final year.
It's also fair to say the Bears (and Johnson, of course) found the perfect role for Swift as last season went on, in concert with the emergence of rookie Kyle Monangai. His percentage of the carries went down, and his deeper metrics were excellent.
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There's definitely a chance the workload split in the Bears' backfield shifts toward favoring Monangai this season, but that will be fine as Swift gets into the end of his peak years.
The Lions held Swift relatively in-check last season, as he totaled 117 yards from scrimmage with a rushing touchdown on 26 touches over two games. But they'll still be seeing him twice a year for the next few years, as his departure in 2023 continues to work out well for both parties.
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