During the Chicago Bears memorable 2025 season, a lot of the headlines and attention went to the late-game heroics of quarterback Caleb Williams and the passing offense. But one player on offense had a resurgent year that went vastly overlooked, running back D’Andre Swift.
Signing with Chicago prior to the 2024 season, Swift struggled in his first year with the Bears, some of which could be contributed to poor offensive line play in front of him. But as that was addressed and improved, as did Swift’s play when he was reunited with Ben Johnson after their days with the Detroit Lions.
Despite having seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai explode onto the scene last season, Swift was able to manage a fair share workload that saw Chicago’s rushing attack catapult into a top three rushing offense in the league with a revamped offensive line and new head coach.
Recently, Tom Blair of NFL.com named Swift as the most underappreciated player on the Bears roster for his contributions to the team’s offense, which also saw him lead the team in total touchdowns last year.
“I was ready to make an argument for Swift’s junior backfield partner, Kyle Monangai, who rampaged to 947 scrimmage yards as a rookie last season. Then fellow full-season prognosticator Ali Bhanpuri suggested going with Swift instead, reasoning that he might actually be the one on the ropes, appreciation-wise, as the old-hat veteran next to an exciting young upstart, and I found that to be much more in keeping with the spirit of this exercise. Monangai could be considered slightly below the radar, but Swift has been around, accumulating the public expectations that come with being part of multiple headline-making transactions. Sure, there are plenty of miles on the odometer, and his contract doesn’t go beyond the upcoming season, but he still averaged 5.39 yards per touch in 2025, eighth among all players with a minimum of 150 touches. He still scored 10 total TDs, most on the team.”
The Bears’ rushing attack should once again be key for the team’s offense this year, especially after adding another tight end in rookie Sam Roush, giving more versatile looks and opportunities in blocking schemes. Swift’s tenure in Chicago did not get off to a great start, but with one year left on his deal and a young player pushing him for playing time, the veteran stepped up big in 2025 and will be counted on to do the same this upcoming season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: D’Andre Swift dubbed most underappreciated Bears player in 2025
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
