Chicago Bears signing former Eagles RB D’Andre Swift

NFL insider Mike Garafolo reports Monday that the Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with free agent running back D’Andre Swift. With Swift expected to sign a three-year, $24 million deal with Chicago following his lone, breakout season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last year Swift rushed for a career-high 1,049 yards along with five rushing touchdowns, 39 catches for 214 yards, and a receiving score for Philadelphia. He also earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.

Prior to his one-year stint with the Eagles, Swift spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions. Selected with the No. 35 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Lions out of Georgia following back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and SEC All-Conference selections with the Bulldogs.

In his three years with Detroit Swift appeared in 40 games and made 16 starts, rushing for 1,680 yards and 18 touchdowns while also catching an impressive 156 passes for 1,198 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

During the 2023 NFL Draft, the Eagles traded a 2025 fourth-round pick for Swift along with a pick swap of seventh-round selections for the 2023 draft with Detroit. The move clearly paid off for Swift and the Lions as he achieved his first 1,000-yard rushing season in the NFL and the Lions would make their first NFC Championship appearance after winning their first playoff game since 1992.

The 25-year-old Swift returns to the NFC North and joins a Bears team that ranked second in the NFL last season with 141.1 rushing yards per game. But nearly one-third of that production on the ground did come from Chicago’s quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent. As many await and anticipate the Bears to move off of Fields at some point during the offseason as they enter the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 1 overall pick.

While a potential trade involving Fields likely still awaits, Chicago moved very quickly in reaching an agreement with Swift, landing him just 12 minutes into the NFL’s legal tampering period ahead of free-agency opening up on March 13. Using their cap space to address the running back position early as they secure one of the league’s most versatile backs from last season.

The Swift signing on March 13 will likely represent the first of many potential moves this offseason for the Bears and at the running back position across the NFL, with plenty of proven free agent rushers likely to find a new team this offseason.