Contract Terms
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported, per sources, that the Chicago Bears and running back D'Andre Swift have agreed to terms on a three-year, $24 million contract.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Swift is coming off a career-high 1,049 rushing yards during his one year in Philadelphia. The Eagles acquired Swift from the Detroit Lions last April for a 2025 fourth-round pick and an exchange of seventh-round picks, marking a return home for the Philadelphia native.
More importantly, he stayed healthy even with the increased workload, playing in 16 regular-season games -- a personal best since entering the league in 2020.
As ESPN.com notes, while his numbers on the ground ballooned, his receiving stats (39 catches, 214 yards) declined, with the passing attack focused on receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. Still, he was one of just six running backs with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 35 receptions, and he's proven to be an effective receiver in past seasons.
Swift has 2,729 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns over four seasons, with 1,412 yards and eight scores through the air.
Swift joins a backfield already manned by Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson in Chicago.
As Footballguy Jason Wood noted in the wake of this move, this looks like a committee with Swift superseding Herbert and Johnson in terms of redraft potential. Wood added that Swift is unlikely to get a massive workload without being a big part of the passing game. Wood questioned whether Swift is equipped to handle a feature role on an offense that doesn't have an elite offensive line. "We can't look at what he did in Philly last year and think it extends straight across," Wood wrote.
That's a fair assessment. Swift opened as WR28 on the Footballguys 2024 Draft Rankings. While that could rise a bit based on clarity of outcome, it will be capped by the presence of Herbert and Johnson until we gain a better understanding of the expected timeshare.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Even if you believe they'll still have roles in a committee alongside Swift, this can't be good news for those already invested in Herbert and Johnson. Footballguy Dan Hindery is more bullish on Swift than Wood because he's not been especially impressed with the holdovers. "Neither Herbert nor Roschon were anything special last season, and there's a new offensive coordinator who probably had a say in picking 'his guy,'" Hindery explained. Taking it even further, he isn't sold on the notion this will be a timeshare. "$8 million a year for a running back means they aren't planning on a true committee," Hindery opined.
Herbert sits at RB37 on our initial rankings; Johnson is RB41. Both are going in that range in early drafts on Underdog and BestBall 10s. Expect that price to fall at least slightly on this news.
In Philadelphia, it seems reasonable to expect the team to make an addition at the position. Plenty of high-end running back talent remains in this free-agent class, even with Tony Pollard agreeing to terms with the Titans. This seems like a situation in flux, and nobody should start investing in Kenneth Gainwell as if he'll be a primary option in Philadelphia. However, seeing him gain some steam until the other shoe drops is likely.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
Even with Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson on their roster, the Chicago Bears are giving running back D'Andre Swift a three-year, $24.5 million deal, including $15.3 million guaranteed. That's not the kind of money teams spend on committee members. That's lead-back money. At the very least, it would appear Swift will be at the front of the line for touches this fall. Expect his value to rise on this move while Herbert and Johnson lose some.