The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a hyped 2026 season, where they’re looking to build off their impressive first season under head coach Ben Johnson, which included an NFC North title and a wild-card playoff win. While they found success in 2025, it’s a brand new slate for this Bears team following an offseason of change, including the departures of key veterans and the additions of new veterans and exciting rookies.
The work begins in training camp, where Johnson will put his team through the wringer with the intent to prepare them for the 2026 season. Every day from now right up through training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2026 season. We’ll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to 2026 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.
At No. 13 is running back D’Andre Swift, who once seemed to be on the chopping block but instead turned in a career year. Now with a capable running mate from the start of training camp, we’ll see if Swift can build on that success in 2026.
Background
Position: Running back
Age: 27
Experience: 7th season
2026 cap hit: $8.8 million
2025 recap
Swift went from a possible cut candidate during the offseason and a liability to start the season to one of the most important players by year’s end. The veteran back was thought of as someone head coach Ben Johnson didn’t want on his team when he came aboard, while fans bemoaned his healthy status when he was cleared to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. Swift got the last laugh, though. With the new running scheme in place while playing behind a revamped offensive line, Swift set career highs in rushing yards (1,087), rushing touchdowns (9), and first downs (62) in a season, all while averaging 4.9 yards per carry with a manageable workload. The stats are one thing, but the eye test is another. Swift looked noticeably more confident in hitting the holes and played with a physicality that was absent in 2024.
Importance in 2026
The ground game will once again be a focal point in Ben Johnson’s offense, and Swift will be front and center. The Bears found a formula that works with him and Monangai splitting carries, but Swift is more well-rounded with his ability to be a receiving threat and should still see more snaps when it’s all said and done. The biggest thing Swift needs to avoid is a slow start for the third year in a row. In 2024 and 2025, Swift’s first few games were disastrous and played a role in the team’s woeful record early on. Still, the Bears are committed to Swift, as evidenced by the fact he carried the ball 10+ times in all but two games when he was healthy last year.
Big question: Is this Swift’s last season as a Bear?
What once looked like an albatross of a contract now seems to be a solid bargain. Swift signed a three-year deal worth $24 million prior to the 2024 offseason, a deal that appeared to age terribly following the Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry sweepstakes. Of course, things turned around, and now Swift’s deal looks like a solid contract. But 2026 is his last year before he hits free agency again, and it’s hard to see the Bears paying top dollar again to keep him around. The Bears already have another capable back in Monangai, making Swift expendable. Even with another strong season, it could be difficult to see the Bears re-signing Swift next spring. It’s also risky paying running backs close to 30 years old, even if the plan is to make them part of a committee. Swift’s free agency will be one of the more fascinating storylines next spring assuming he picks up where he left off.
30 Most Important Bears of 2026
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 30 Most Important Bears of 2026: D’Andre Swift (No. 13)
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue and Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brendan Sugrue and Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
