Column: D'Andre Swift enjoyed a great camp. He can take the Chicago Bears' offense higher in 2026
Bears wrap Week 0: Dan Wiederer joins to share what we learned | Chicago Sports Tonight
The Bears are slowly approaching Week 1, and broke at the end of Week 0 with potential injuries to two offensive starters. The Athletic's Dan Wiederer joins Devan Kaney to share what we've learned.
With Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson speaks on his players, it’s imperative to take him at his word.
Johnson will let you know what he thinks. He’ll sometimes say players are right where they need to be. He’ll oftentimes straight up say a player needs to be better.
That’s why it’s notable when Johnson speaks highly of an offensive player that he’s known for a while. This has been the case with running back D’Andre Swift.
"He's doing a really good job right now," Johnson said before the Bears’ joint practice on August 27. "I think he's primed for a big year."
Much has been made about the Chicago Bears’ development of Caleb Williams.
Head coach Ben Johnson is asked about it weekly. Williams has had his moments, but Swift has by far had the best training camp of any offensive player on the roster. This is notable considering how the Bears view their running game.
If Swift unlocks another level of his game, he unlocks another level of the Bears’ offense.
What we know:
Bears’ offensive coordinator Press Taylor said the offense doesn’t view the running game as efficient under Johnson.
The Bears want it to be explosive. Not every play will be a home run for the Bears, but explosive carries a different connotation that Swift defined this past week.
"Explosive. That’s where we want to be," Swift said. "Twelve-plus yards, that’s what we’re looking for every time."
Swift wants a first down every time he touches the football. That’s easier said than done.
But, it’s easy to believe Swift can get close to that this year because of how he’s looked in training camp.
"I’m honing in on the little details," Swift said. "That allows me to play faster."
He was consistently breaking bigger runs. He was specifically running really well of the right side of the offensive line behind right guard Jonah Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright.
In the joint practice against the Titans, Swift was giving the Tennessee defense fits. He broke big gains and wasn’t just shifty. Swift was bringing power to the running game, too.
Swift is just further ahead at this point than he was in previous seasons.
"It's the best I've seen him this time of year," Johnson said. "You look back at a year ago, he was very explosive, and yet it takes a little while to gel between him and the offensive line. I think he's accelerating his vision here at this point."
Swift credited his understanding of Johnson’s offense. Now with this being his second season in Johnson’s offense, Swift knows where the coaches want him to be and what landmarks they want him to hit.
"I was having a better sense of the offense," Swift said. "Second year going into it, knowing what Ben wants to see from me, things like that."
Last year, Swift set single-season career highs with rushing yards and all-purpose yards in just his first season with Johnson’s offense.
It makes sense to believe Year 2, already primed with a stellar training camp, will give Swift a chance to reach another level in his career.
It seems like a minor detail, but it’s a significant one in Swift’s eyes. It helps Swift fits what the Bears want out of him: healthy, available and detail-oriented.
"It’s the first time I’ve been in a system for consecutive years in a while," Swift said. "I paid attention to the self-scout from last year and figured out what I need to do a better job of."
Big picture view:
Johnson’s run game is very detail oriented.
Swift and Taylor both mentioned landmarks, specific spots to be in to make blocks and specific spaces they need to be at to make a cut up the field.
"Every little thing is the science of football with all of it that matters more than you would think," Taylor said last week.
This all changes when operating out of the shotgun, too. It’s a lot to remember. But, Swift has shown he’s got a grasp of it all.
"I think Coach (Eric) Studesville has been fantastic for him just with the reads and being able to know the intent of where we're trying to hit things," Johnson said. "He hits it right on the spot when it's there, and then he cuts it up."
This is big for Swift. The seven-year veteran said he believes he still hasn’t played his best football in the NFL.
If he can be better in 2026, this takes the Bears’ offense to another level.
With an improved Swift, the Bears passing game can add another factor with play-action plays. The Bears can look to Swift as a playmaker to move the chains in both the running game and passing game.
This takes some pressure off quarterback Caleb Williams. It means Swift can help Williams take the next step in his development, too.
An improved Swift is a boon for the Bears’ offense. While he won’t be the same as Lions star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, he doesn’t need to be. Swift is proving his own skill set is working wonders with the current Bears team.
Swift might be exactly what the Bears need to elevate the offense further. That’s what the Bears need to be productive. It’s what the team needs to be confident, too.
"There’s no reason we shouldn’t get off to a fast start," Swift said.