When Ben Johnson was hired as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, a particular player landed in a unique spotlight. Running back D'Andre Swift and Johnson spent three seasons together with the Detroit Lions, including Johnson's first season as offensive coordinator. The way things went that year, 2022, paved the way for Swift to be traded the following offseason.
The bye week was an opportunity for the Bears to get a lagging ground game going, and in Week 6 against the Washington Commanders, it came to fruition. Swift topped 100 yards (108) on 14 carries, and he also added 67 yards (including a pivotal 55-yard touchdown) on two catches.
Through five games this season, Swift has 70 of the Bears' 93 running back carries (75.3 percent). He's on pace for 238 carries, which is just shy of his career-high 253 carries last season and a pace of roughly one carry per game less than last year. History says his efficiency drops over the course of a season with a heavy workload like that, but rookie Kyle Monangai hasn't yet made a strong push for more work.
Is history repeating itself with D'Andre Swift?
A short week after playing the Commanders on "Monday Night Football" has to be noted, but Swift popped up on the Bears' first real injury report for Week 7 with a groin injury. He was limited again on Friday, and he was officially listed as questionable for Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
After Johnson said his injury didn't happen during Thursday's practice, Swift told reporters he will play on Sunday and the injury happened during the game against Washington.
D’Andre Swift says he will play vs. New Orleans. The groin injury is one that came from the Commanders game but isn’t one he thinks will affect him in game. He was limited on Thursday and Friday, more of a product of maintenance than anything else.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) October 17, 2025
A player is always going to have an optimistic view of how an injury will impact his performance. But Swift's history says his effectiveness is diminished when he is banged up to practically any degree. He was on the injury report with a quad injury heading into Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, then he had 13 carries for 33 yards in that game.
A tendency to be banged up prevented the Lions from making Swift their workhorse back, at times to his chagrin. Johnson navigated that as part of the coaching staff in Detroit, and he had direct involvement (and frustration?) with it as the play-caller in 2022.
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In terms of impact on his performance or impact on his workload, Swift's groin injury may be nothing, this week or beyond. But after a breakthrough game in Week 6, it's somehow not surprising he landed on the injury report, and Johnson might be back in some familiar territory he'd rather not be in.