The Chicago Bears have a massive challenge on their hands to try to beat the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 as they pursue the number one seed in the NFC playoffs.
Chicago got the NFC North crown settled after the Baltimore Ravens gave them a great assist with the 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers. Now the Bears are gunning for the number one seed and will need their leading rushing D'Andre Swift to help with that.
Swift got a lot of attention last year after a career-low 3.8 yards per carry in 2024, but has turned it all around in 2025, up to 4.9 yards per carry. It's been an excellent season for Swift, but one more great game against one of the NFL's best rush defenses in San Francisco could finally end the offseason conversation everyone has had all year.
Can D'Andre Swift seal his place on the 2026 Bears roster with a great performance against the 49ers?
So far this season, Swift has rushed for 993 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games, both of which are higher marks than what he had in 2024 with Chicago in 17 games. He has also caught 31 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown in the passing game.
The conversation of whether Swift will be on the Bears in 2026 has come from the breakout performance of rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai. The rookie out of Rutgers has rushed for 731 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Chicago's one-two punch in the backfield with Swift and Monangai has been the perfect pairing that no one in the Windy City was expecting to see. Monangai's challenging downhill running and Swift's quickness have made the pair great to work with.
The real question comes as to whether Monangai could be the future lead back for the Bears, and Chicago could draft another running back in the early rounds to complement him well. This would be a younger and cheaper option than what Chicago has in Swift, who, at age 26, might not have long before he starts regressing.
Bears fans are only seeing a back in Swift who has gotten better with every carry he has brought this season. It would be tough to see Swift walk from the team after the kind of impact he has had in 2025.
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Chicago would be smart to keep Swift if he can run all over the 49ers in Week 17. That kind of performance will certainly stop the conversations of Swift's departure in the offseason.