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The Chicago Bears concluded their 2025 season, where they finished with an 11-6 record, an NFC North title and their first playoff win in 15 years under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. And there's no denying that the future is incredibly bright.
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be counting down our 15 Most Impactful Bears from the 2025 season, which features plenty of young talent that made huge contributions in Chicago's magical season. We'll recap their 2025 season and look ahead to how they factor into 2026. There were plenty of top talent to highlight this season, which made for difficult decisions when narrowing the field to just 15 players and/or coaches.
Our No. 8 Most Impactful Bear is running back D'Andre Swift, who turned in a career year as the lead rusher in Ben Johnson's offense.
Entering the 2025 season, there were plenty of skeptics when it came to D'Andre Swift and his effectiveness in the offense. The prized free agent back in 2024 struggled mightily in his first year as a Bear, and there were questions as to whether or not he would even be on the team when Ben Johnson was hired as head coach. It took a couple of weeks into the regular season, but those concerns eventually faded. Swift produced a career year as the lead back in 2025, producing more rushing yards (1,087) and rushing touchdowns (nine). He, along with rookie Kyle Monangai, produced the third-best rushing offense in the NFL with 144.5 yards per game. And thanks to an improved blocking scheme, Swift was able to find better running lanes and hit them with more anticipation. In 2025, Swift produced four 100-yard rushing games, including a pair of dominating performances in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints and Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though Monangai had his moments, Swift was the clear lead back last season to help the Bears capture the NFC North title.
Swift is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Bears, but his future isn't as clear-cut as some may think. The 27-year-old has a cap hit of $8.8 million, though Swift doesn't have any guaranteed money left on his deal. The Bears could cut him and save $7.4 million entering free agency. There have been rumors and speculation that the team may prefer someone like Travis Etienne of the Jacksonville Jaguars or Breece Hall of the New York Jets. Both players would likely command more money than Swift is making next year, so it will be interesting to see whether or not the Bears believe they can upgrade at the position. Swift has said he hopes to stay in 2026 and has proven he can be effective in this offense. We should know relatively soon whether or not he will be leading the backfield for another season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Most Impactful Bears of 2025: No. 8 D'Andre Swift
Continue reading...
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be counting down our 15 Most Impactful Bears from the 2025 season, which features plenty of young talent that made huge contributions in Chicago's magical season. We'll recap their 2025 season and look ahead to how they factor into 2026. There were plenty of top talent to highlight this season, which made for difficult decisions when narrowing the field to just 15 players and/or coaches.
Our No. 8 Most Impactful Bear is running back D'Andre Swift, who turned in a career year as the lead rusher in Ben Johnson's offense.
The Basics
- Position: Running back
- Age: 27
- Experience: 6th season
- 2025 cap hit: $9.3 million
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2025 stats
- 223 carries, 1,087 yards, 9 touchdowns
- 48 targets, 34 receptions, 299 yards, 1 touchdown
2025 recap
Entering the 2025 season, there were plenty of skeptics when it came to D'Andre Swift and his effectiveness in the offense. The prized free agent back in 2024 struggled mightily in his first year as a Bear, and there were questions as to whether or not he would even be on the team when Ben Johnson was hired as head coach. It took a couple of weeks into the regular season, but those concerns eventually faded. Swift produced a career year as the lead back in 2025, producing more rushing yards (1,087) and rushing touchdowns (nine). He, along with rookie Kyle Monangai, produced the third-best rushing offense in the NFL with 144.5 yards per game. And thanks to an improved blocking scheme, Swift was able to find better running lanes and hit them with more anticipation. In 2025, Swift produced four 100-yard rushing games, including a pair of dominating performances in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints and Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though Monangai had his moments, Swift was the clear lead back last season to help the Bears capture the NFC North title.
2026 outlook
Swift is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Bears, but his future isn't as clear-cut as some may think. The 27-year-old has a cap hit of $8.8 million, though Swift doesn't have any guaranteed money left on his deal. The Bears could cut him and save $7.4 million entering free agency. There have been rumors and speculation that the team may prefer someone like Travis Etienne of the Jacksonville Jaguars or Breece Hall of the New York Jets. Both players would likely command more money than Swift is making next year, so it will be interesting to see whether or not the Bears believe they can upgrade at the position. Swift has said he hopes to stay in 2026 and has proven he can be effective in this offense. We should know relatively soon whether or not he will be leading the backfield for another season.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Most Impactful Bears of 2025: No. 8 D'Andre Swift
Continue reading...
