How D’Andre Swift could be the weapon the Bears need in the backfield – Shaw Local

LAKE FOREST – During an organized team activities practice this spring, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams dropped back to pass and found himself surrounded by defenders. In heavy traffic, Williams threw a pass to running back D'Andre Swift.

Despite the obstacles between him and the quarterback, Swift made a difficult and contested catch with one hand. He also took the ball upfield for a nice gain after the catch.

“He's a weapon out of the backfield, which is exceptional for our passing game, and it's going to create mismatches for us,” coach Matt Eberflus said last week at Halas Hall.

It's only early June and the Bears don't start playing real football until late July, but Swift seems to be exactly what the offense was missing last season.

When the Bears lost running back David Montgomery in free agency before the 2023 season, they lost their best all-around running back. Throughout the 2023 season, they never really had a jack-of-all-trades running back.

Running back Khalil Herbert runs hard and can make big plays when there are open holes. Backup D'Onta Foreman was the opposite last year – physical and punishing, even though there were no holes [the Bears did not re-sign Foreman in 2024]. Roschon Johnson, a rookie last season, had some good moments but totaled double-digit carries in just one game.

Enter Swift.

He is coming off a season in which he accounted for 1,263 total yards (1,049 rushing and 214 receiving) and six total touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles. Along the way, he earned his first Pro Bowl appearance.

This happened after three seasons with the Detroit Lions. He also had over 800 all-purpose yards in each of his three seasons with the Lions. He is a reliable pass catcher [he totaled a career-high 62 receptions in 2021]and a punishing runner.

The Bears made Swift a priority when free agency opened in March. The Bears and Swift agreed to terms less than a half-hour after free agency began. The Bears signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract.

“It’s a great situation to be in when you have a rookie quarterback that has great potential and you have guys around him that have been in the league for a few years,” Swift said.

Even with Williams now at quarterback, Eberflus' Bears will remain an old-fashioned, uncompromising team. Eberflus wants to build on his defense, which was one of the best in the NFL during the second half of 2023. Even with a new QB and offensive coordinator, Bears fans should expect that their team takes a run-first approach.

Eberflus said he felt his team needed a weapon out of the backfield.

“We really needed that guy that can really operate on third down and even first and second down to be a weapon in the deep end and the short end of the field and be able to go the distance,” Eberflus said. . “He’s got a lot of gas.”

Swift said his new quarterback, the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft, looks like a natural leader. Williams is only 22 years old, but he is quickly earning the respect of his veteran teammates.

When everything is new, the offense is new, a new group of guys, it takes repetition for us to be comfortable together.

— D'Andre Swift, Bears running back

“I watch it every day, good days, bad days — things take time,” Swift said. “When everything is new, the offense is new, a new group of guys, it takes repetition for us to be comfortable together. It's going to take some time, but he's doing a great job listening and speaking with us.

Having a player like Swift in the backfield would help any rookie quarterback. The Bears did their best to surround the 22-year-old Williams with as many weapons as possible.

Swift might turn out to be one of the group's best additions.

“When you have a good running game, I feel like it makes the offense itself more balanced,” Swift said.