D’Andre Swift didn’t make the Bears wait long for a payoff.
After Chicago handed the 27-year-old running back a three-year, $33.7 million extension, Swift answered with a statement game in the Bears’ blowout win over the Carolina Panthers. He piled up 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, then added another line to the résumé when he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Swift’s performance fit neatly into what Chicago already believes about him. He’s a veteran presence on a roster that also features second-year back Kyle Monangai, and together the two have formed a strong one-two punch that helped fuel a lot of the Bears’ success last season.
The extension had been looming all offseason, with Swift entering the final year of his previous deal. Now he’s locked in through the 2029 season, and the Bears got an immediate glimpse of why they moved quickly to keep him.
2025 was already a peak year for Swift. He posted his second 1,000-yard rushing season and scored more touchdowns than ever before, but there was one noticeable gap in his game: he didn’t have a single carry longer than 25 yards.
“The only thing I was missing last year that I need to do a better job of is I need more explosive runs, longer runs. I need to showcase that.
I didn't have a lot of those last year. I think we can go out there and improve that.”
Swift backed up that self-scout on Sunday. He broke free for a 32-yard run in the first quarter and later ripped off a 28-yard touchdown, giving him the kind of explosive plays he said he wanted to add.
Of course, one game doesn’t define a season or justify a contract on its own. NFL defenses aren’t going to roll over every week, and Swift knows that better than most. Still, with Chicago already showing off one of the league’s best rushing attacks in 2025 and Swift and Monangai driving much of it, Week 1 was about as clean a start as the Bears could have asked for.
The NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor is just the finishing touch. The real takeaway is simpler: Chicago made its bet on Swift, and he delivered right away.
In Other News...
Bears Center Battle May Be Heating Up Faster Than Expected
The Bears brought in Garrett Bradbury to steady the middle of the offensive line, but the early returns have given the team plenty to think about. After arriving from the Patriots, Bradbury drew a low grade from Pro Football Focus and was flagged for a holding penalty in Week 1, the kind of start that can quickly put a veteran center under a brighter spotlight in Chicago.
Logan Jones has made the competition even more interesting. The rookie second-round pick has already earned praise from coach Ben Johnson for his mental fortitude and football IQ, and that kind of trust can matter fast when a team is looking for answers up front. If Bradbury does not clean things up soon, the Bears may not wait long to see whether Jones is ready for a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Bears May Need Zavion Thomas Sooner Than Expected Against Vikings
Zavion Thomas did not touch the Bears offense in Week 1, but the rookie receiver was still part of the game plan on special teams, and that alone says plenty about how Chicago views him early on. The Bears have already identified his speed as a weapon, and with Ben Johnson preparing for a tougher chess match against Minnesota, Thomas could be closer to the rotation than his first-game usage suggested.
Brian Flores has built a reputation for forcing quarterbacks to adjust, and Johnsons history against that defense gives Chicago a reason to feel it can answer with some creative work of its own. If the Bears want another way to stress the Vikings on Sunday, Thomas is one of the more obvious candidates to help stretch the field and create space, which is why his role bears watching even if his rookie debut offered only a glimpse. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Defense Has No Excuse Against A Shorthanded Vikings Offense
Minnesotas offense is walking into Week 2 with a much thinner margin for error after running back Jordan Mason was set to land on injured reserve with a thumb injury, and the quarterback situation is shaky as well with Kyler Murray in concussion protocol. For the Bears, that changes the tenor of a matchup they already badly need to clean up defensively after a rough Week 1 showing.
Chicago does not have much room to waste an opportunity like this. Even with the Vikings shorthanded, the Bears will need to tackle better, tighten up in coverage and do the little things that were missing last week if they want to make Minnesota pay for the absences and get their season pointed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]