D'Andre Swift's Contract Extension Changes Bears' 2027 Draft Plans
Entering this season, there were questions about D'Andre Swift's future in Chicago. Swift was entering the final year of a three-year deal and will be 28 years old next season. However, those questions disappeared on Friday.
According to Adam Schefter, Swift and the Bears reached an agreement on a three-year, $33.75 million contract extension on Friday. This extension likely means Chicago will not be looking at drafting a running back in 2027, but with Ben Johnson at the helm, you truly never know.
D'Andre Swift’s Extension Changes the Conversation
Earlier this offseason, I wrote an article looking at five running back prospects the Bears should keep an eye on this year. A few of the players I mentioned would have had skill sets that could directly replace Swift, while others did not. Still, every name mentioned represented a potential option for Chicago before Swift re-signed.
While Swift re-signing with Chicago before the season can be seen as a surprise, it does make some sense. The 27-year-old is coming off his best season, rushing for 1,089 yards on 223 carries and scoring nine touchdowns. He also contributed 34 catches for 299 yards and one receiving touchdown.
Moreover, it was reported that Swift had an outstanding training camp and is expected to be an even bigger part of the offense this year. In theory, locking him down makes sense.
There is still some risk with the deal, considering Swift's age and the amount of money involved. However, if he continues playing at a high level, the Bears could have secured an important piece of their offense for the next few seasons.
That changes the conversation surrounding the 2027 NFL Draft.
Draft Outlook
Giving Swift the money they did means it's less likely that Chicago drafts a running back early. Add in the fact that Kyle Monangai is on the roster, and the chances drop even further
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The Bears already trust Monangai to be a reliable running back. As a rookie, he rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns while playing behind Swift. If Monangai continues to develop, Chicago will continue to have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL.
Still, no draft strategy is out of the picture with Ben Johnson as the head coach.
Bears fans saw this year that Johnson wants to add as much firepower to the offense as possible. That's why he added Sam Roush to an already solid tight end room. Johnson isn't necessarily going to focus only on positions where Chicago has an obvious need. If he believes a player can make the offense better, he could still push for the Bears to add him.
That could apply to running back in 2027.
Chicago wouldn't need to draft a running back because of a hole on the roster. Instead, the Bears could look for a player who brings a different skill set to the backfield and gives Johnson another weapon to work with.
Swift's extension could actually give Chicago more flexibility with that decision. If the Bears enter the 2027 draft with Swift and Monangai playing well, they wouldn't have to force themselves into taking a running back
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However, if one of the top running back prospects is available when Chicago is on the clock, the Bears could still consider adding him.
Right now, many fans have their eyes set on defense going into the 2027 draft. That was the same going into the 2026 draft, and we saw how that turned out.
Bears fans will just have to wait and see what Ben Johnson has up his sleeve next April.
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