Going into this season, Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift was under a lot of pressure to prove himself. Head coach Ben Johnson had first-hand knowledge of the fallacy attached to giving him too much work from the time they were together in Detroit, and the Bears' previous coaching staff learned that same lesson last season.
When Johnson was hired, the clock seemed to be ticking toward when Swift would no longer be a Bear. If things had gone more according to plan in last April's draft, Swift might've been usurped as the No. 1 back right away. A look at his contract, moving toward the final year of his three-year deal in 2026, screams "tradeable."
Swift started the season getting the majority of the work in the Bears' backfield. But once a groin injury was behind him, he took off. Over the last eight games, heading into the regular season finale, he has at least 70 yards from scrimmage seven times while averaging 5.2 yards per carry over that span.
When it's all said and done this season, with the Bears playing to win in Week 18, Swift should comfortably set career-highs in rushing yards and total yards to go with career-highs in rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns. And with that, the idea of immediate urgency to find his replacement has seemed to fade.
That being said, one looming free agent running back seems to be already begging for the Bears to sign him. More broadly, there will be multiple free-agent options available to replace Swift if Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles want to go that direction.
Bears offered a new pivot option to replace D'Andre Swift (if they want to go there)
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report has taken an early look at seven 2026 free agent running backs, with an ideal landing spot and a contract projection for each. He, of course, matched the Bears with one of those backs, but probably not the one you're thinking of.
Kay proposed Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne as a fit for the Bears, with a projected four-year, $34 million contract.
"While he likely won't command as much as Breece Hall, his affordability could lead to him landing with another up-and-coming contender led by a first-time head coach in the Chicago Bears."
"The Bears have been a revelation under Ben Johnson and could take another step forward in 2026 with Etienne in their backfield. Chicago currently ranks No. 3 in rushing offense and could lead the league in this category if it opts to make an upgrade from current starter D'Andre Swift to Etienne."
Swift was drafted in 2020, while Etienne came into the league in 2021. But they are the same age, with their 27th birthdays coming 12 days apart in January (Swift on January 14, Etienne on January 26).
That one season difference helps account for the gap between the two in career touches on the surface, but Etienne also missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. So Etienne has accumulated his 1,050 touches in 65 games and almost four seasons, while Swift has accumulated his 1,329 touches in 88 games and nearly six seasons.
A closer examination of the career stats for Swift and Etienne, looking at yards per carry, yards per reception, success rates as a rusher and receiver, etc., brings to mind the Spider-Man meme.
If Etienne were younger or notably better than Swift, then there could be a legit conversation about the Bears pursuing him on the free agent market. If he had less tread off his proverbial tires on a per-game or per-season basis, or if the Bears were a far better situation than he has now, then that potential pivot could look pretty good.
Read more: Bears' D'Andre Swift delivered for optimistic fantasy managers this year
But literally none of those things are true when comparing Etienne to Swift. If the Bears do pursue another option to pair with Kyle Monangai, with an eye past the end of Swift's contract, there's at least one better option on the free agent market than Etienne.