INDIANAPOLIS — The Bears had huge expectations for running back D’Andre Swift when they signed him in the opening hour of free agency last year, and while he was a big-play threat, he had one of the least productive seasons of his career.
Amid the Bears’ many problems on offense, including floundering coordinator Shane Waldron and a struggling offensive line, Swift ran for 959 yards and six touchdowns and caught 42 passes for 386 yards after signing a three-year, $24 million contract. He averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry and dropped by more than nine yards per game from the previous season to 56.4.
Enter new coach Ben Johnson. Johnson was the Lions’ tight ends coach when they drafted Swift in the second round in 2020 and was his offensive coordinator in 2022. The Lions traded Swift to the Eagles after that season.
“I followed his career even after he left Detroit and think very highly of him,” Johnson said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He’s an explosive athlete. There’s a number of things that he can do both in the running game and in the passing game.
“He can help ignite an offense because he’s got that playmaking ability, so it’ll be fun to start to work together again here this springtime with him.”
The Bears don’t have a manageable out on Swift’s contract until after this season — they can cut him them with a $1.3 million dead-cap hit — so it’s ideal for Johnson to find a way to maximize him.
