The nightmare that was the 2024 Chicago Bears season is over. Before the transactional period starts and the roster changes begin, we will recap the seasons of most of the 53-man roster. Next up: We’re looking at the 2024 season of running back D’Andre Swift.
D’Andre Swift’s 2024 Snapshot
Running back D’Andre Swift was one of the splashes that GM Ryan Poles made in the opening minutes of the “legal tampering” window during last year’s free agency period, but unlike the other big-name running back on the market last offseason, Saquon Barkley, Swift didn’t live up to the hype or contract he received.
There was a pocket of the 2024 season in which D’Andre Swift looked like the running back the Bears envisioned after spending big money on him right out of the gates in last year’s free agency period. But Swift finished the 2024 season with 959 rushing yards on 253 attempts, good for 3.8 yards per attempt. Swift found the end zone six times on the rushing plays and fumbled twice. As a receiver, he caught 42 passes for 386 yards and scored no touchdowns.
© Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesIn Weeks 4-8, D’Andre Swift rushed for 386 yards and four touchdowns on 72 carries. During that four-game stretch, he averaged 5.36 yards per carry and caught 13 passes for 147 yards (11.30 YPR). That stretch included his only 100-plus yard performance of the season and accounted for 40 of Swift’s rushing yardage total and 66 percent of his rushing touchdowns.
Outside of that four-game stretch, Swift rushed for 573 yards on 181 carries (3.1 yards per attempt), and two touchdowns in 13 games. Swift’s per-carry average in 2024 (3.8) ranked 56th among qualified running backs and quarterbacks. And his 3.1 yards per attempt in games outside of the four-game stretch where he was a focal point of the offense, Swift found himself ranked tied for 72nd in the league with Ezekiel Elliott.
Some of Swift’s struggles can be attributed to the fired offensive coordinator and head coach and the associated changes in the offense, but the same can be said for everyone on the offensive side of the ball. Any way you slice it, D’Andre Swift wasn’t good enough in 2024.
By the Numbers
Carries: 253 Rushing Yards: 959 Touchdowns: 6 Yards Per Attempt: 3.8 Receptions: 42 Receiving Yards: 386 Receiving Touchdowns: 0Contract Status
Swift signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chicago Bears last March and is set to earn the bulk of that this season. The base salary will be $7.39 million, and a prorated signing bonus will be $1.33 million. Swift will also earn $510K per game and an additional $100K through roster and workout bonuses.
© Daniel Bartel-Imagn ImagesTurning the Page
Like it or not, D’Andre Swift isn’t going anywhere this year. This is the meat year of his three-year deal, and cutting him would saddle the Bears with $8.77 million in dead cap and a meager $526K cap savings. I’ve seen folks hypothesize (romanticize?) a potential addition of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 10 in April’s 2025 NFL Draft, but given Swift’s contract situation, that doesn’t seem very likely to me.
If, and this is a big if, the Bears spend big on the offensive and defensive line in free agency, perhaps the Jeanty pick becomes viable. But if the Bears don’t address at least two or three starting spots on the offensive and defensive line in free agency, we’re looking at another year of D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson as the lead backs.
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If Swift’s 2025 performance is another disappointment, Chicago could let him go next spring with a dead cap of $1.33 million and $7.50 million in savings. Given their brief time together in Detroit, let’s hope Ben Johnson has a plan for Swift.
In 2022, Swift rushed for 542 yards on 99 carries (5.5) and scored five touchdowns with the Lions in Ben Johnson’s first season as the offensive coordinator in Detroit. Swift also caught 48 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver that season. That’s good for 931 yards from scrimmage on 147 touches (6.29 yards per touch) and eight touchdowns in 14 games.
During that 2022 season, Swift was a change of pace back for Jamaal Williams, who rushed for 1,066 yards on 262 carries (4.1) and 17 touchdowns. A backfield dynamic where Roschon Johnson (or another running back acquired via free agency or the draft) was in the Jamaal Williams role, and Swift was in his role during that 2022 season would maximize the talent on the roster and get some return on their investment in Swift during his most expensive season.
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