The Chicago Bears have some interesting decisions to make this offseason that could drastically impact their roster.
While they need to make decisions on top starters like Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in the secondary, there have been rumors of what they would do with the running back situation and D'Andre Swift. That has been a popular topic of discussion on whether the Bears will move on from Swift despite having a career season for Chicago in 2025.
Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline shared a new article discussing Jacksonville Jaguars pending free-agent running back Travis Etienne and where he could end up in the offseason. Pauline says to keep an eye on the Bears as an option.
"League insiders have long believed the Chicago Bears will be suitors for Etienne if he hits free agency. This is despite having a solid 1-2 punch with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Swift has one year remaining on his deal, though the Bears can opt out, and Monangai is just a second-year player.
To make this move happen, the Bears, who are projected to be about $4.3 million over the salary cap approaching a new league year, will have to do some cost-cutting."
Bears could move on from D'Andre Swift for Travis Etienne
This will become a fascinating topic of discussion for the Bears during the offseason on whether they should move on from Swift and if Etienne would be a good replacement. When comparing Swift and Etienne in 2025, the numbers are not that much different from each other:
Player/Category | D'Andre Swift | Travis Etienne |
|---|---|---|
Age | 27 | 26 |
Rushing Attempts | 223 | 260 |
Rushing Yards | 1,087 | 1,107 |
Rushing Yards Per Carry | 4.9 | 4.3 |
Rushing Touchdowns | 9 | 7 |
Receptions | 34 | 36 |
Receiving Yards | 299 | 292 |
Receiving Yards Per Catch | 8.8 | 8.1 |
Receiving Touchdowns | 1 | 6 |
Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson now run into a situation where they are trying to compare the two together. Swift picks up more yards per touch than Etienne does, but Etienne is more of a threat in the passing game, scoring more than Swift does, and is one year younger.
Something to keep in mind is what the Bears will do with rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, who had an incredible rookie year of nearly 800 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Monangai will be getting split carries from whoever will be joining him in the backfield in 2026.
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This is not going to be an easy decision for the Bears as they evaluate which running back would be better in Johnson's system. Regardless, Chicago should still be in a prime position to excel on offense after being a top-five rushing attack in 2025.