Chicago Bears should avoid rash D’Andre Swift decision until they know what 2026 NFL free agency can truly bring
D’Andre Swift is aware of the uncertain future that awaits him over the next few weeks.
Free agency is quickly coming up around the corner and over the next few days, teams in the NFL will begin cutting high-priced players to free up some spending money the market opens.
The Miami Dolphins already got an early start to that process earlier this week moving on from players such as Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. Over the next 24-48 hours, the Chicago Bears are expected to announce their moves to free up some immediate cap space before setting off to Indianapolis next week for the NFL Scouting Combine.
The big name Bears fans should expect to see get released is linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, a move that would save the team $15 million in cap space for 2026. Two other names have been linked as potential cut candidates in tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift.
For Kmet’s case, I argued that an extension actually makes more sense to create immediate cap relief while still keeping the veteran tight end in Chicago for years to come. The conversation for Swift is more complicated and the Bears might be better off waiting things out for a few more weeks.
Free agent market will determine whether or not the Bears should move on from D’Andre Swift
Swift is coming off a career-high season for the Bears after reuniting in Ben Johnson’s scheme and still has one more year remaining on his current contract. If the Bears intend to move on, the team would save nearly $7.5 million in cap space while taking on just over $1.33 million in dead cap.
On the flip side, Swift’s deal for 2026 ranks 11th in terms of his cap number ($8,803,334) and 12th in terms of cash spent ($7,500,000) among other running backs around the league. That’s not a bad deal at all for a player that finished 12th in rushing yards and tied for 11th in rushing touchdowns.
That doesn’t include the fact that parting ways with Swift opens a massive hole in Chicago’s offense. Rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai shined during his first year with the team but having him isn’t enough to run Johnson’s offense as effectively as possible. So, if the Bears move on from Swift, they’ll need to make sure they’re getting a real upgrade at the right price beforehand.
Which is why waiting things out might be the best route to take with Swift until the Bears can see what’s out there on the market. Right now, the free agent class is headlined by Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III along with Breece Hall and Travis Etienne. The group really falls off after those three, which means those three will have a lucrative market around the league, saying they don’t get re-signed or franchise tagged first.
If the Bears believe they have a real chance to land a Walker or Etienne on the open market, and Johnson feels the need to upgrade the position, it’d make sense to move on from Swift. And that still allows him to hit the market as a top-ranked option for another team to sign. There’s also the possibility of using Swift as a trade piece to acquire an upgrade at the position.
D’Andre Swift understands he has an uncertain future over these next few weeks
With this being a real possibility, Swift opened up on his future with the Bears and what he’s expecting over the next few weeks.
“I have no idea, but hopefully I did enough for them to want me back because I know I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Swift told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I hope it plays itself out that way. I love the city, I love the coaching staff and the men that I work with. That’s out of my control, but if I had it my way, I’d be back. I don’t want to play nowhere else.”
To me, the Bears shouldn’t force a need on offense considering all of the needs already on the defensive side of the ball, unless there’s a real shot at landing one of the top free agent backs.
Simply put, the Bears shouldn’t bank on landing a top free agent being a viable option and making a rash decision early with Swift until they know for sure.
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