Last Friday, the Chicago Bears and running back D’Andre Swift agreed to a new three-year extension to give him some sense of security going into the 2026 regular season. Prior to the deal, Swift was heading into the final year of his existing contract.

The deal was worth $33.75 million with $27.5 million guaranteed, a sizable pay day for one of the team’s top offensive weapons and the price tag did raise some eyebrows.

I’m in the belief that Swift earned every penny of that contract. He’s a massive piece of this offense, as shown in Week 1 after recording 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. I get people are hesitant to pay veteran backs and believe they can be easily replaced, but this deal made sense for Swift. And now it looks even better.

D’Andre Swift’s contract details have been released and it looks like a steal for the Chicago Bears

Initially, I was actually fine with the cost. Swift’s extension pays him $11.25 million per year in annual value, which is far below the $22 million per year deal signed by Jonathan Taylor (same age) earlier this offseason. It’s even cheaper than Josh Jacobs’ deal he signed last year worth $12 million per year when he was 26-years-old.

And now, the full details of Swift’s contract have been released, and this is exactly why we wait for the full numbers before really judging an extension. Swift’s contract only has guaranteed money through the 2027 season, despite being signed through 2029.

That means the Bears could easily move on from this deal after the 2027 season if Swift’s play diminishes. Or simply rework the deal to push some of that money into the future if he has a monster year in 2026, like I believe he will.

Here are the year-by-year numbers according to Over the Cap.

This is a very team friendly deal for the Bears. And it also keeps the books manageable in 2028, which is when the big extensions for right tackle Darnell Wright and quarterback Caleb Williams will really start to kick in.

For Swift’s side of things, it’s easy to wonder why he would sign this deal and only get one year guaranteed. I do believe Swift could have gotten a better deal had he played out the 2026 season and hit the open market. But, sometimes the grass isn’t always greener.

D’Andre Swift is smart to stick with Ben Johnson

Extending Swift’s deal shows the kind of support he has in Chicago, especially from head coach Ben Johnson, who was on staff in Detroit when Swift was casted away for Jahmyr Gibbs. There was a thought that could eventually happen again in Chicago, but Johnson explained why he decided to extend Swift.

“He’s a lot stronger than people think. He’s willing to go for those hard yards and run in between the tackles,” Johnson explained. “He can put his shoulder down, drive the pile, and yet he still has the speed to where he can be an explosive play on the perimeter as well. So, I’ve always seen him as more of an all-purpose back than putting any certain type of label on him. I’m just really proud of how he’s grown to become at this point. He’s earned that contract, he wants to be here.”

We saw that style of play last year when Swift rushed for career-highs across the board. He acknowledged that he still left some meat on the bone and through one game in 2026, he already looks even more like a threat in this offense.

That last part of Johnson’s quote is the most important. He wants players who want to be here and want to be great. Swift is one of those guys and he was rightfully rewarded for it and now gets to stay in an offense that maximizes his full ability. Win-win.

“To be able to stick around with this group of guys is something special, something I don’t take for granted,” Swift said after Sunday’s game. “To be able to go in there and work alongside Ben, just thankful, grateful, for the opportunity to continue to work.”

Final Grade: A for the Bears, B- for D’Andre Swift