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What D'Andre Swift's Extension Means for the Next Bears Waiting in Line

There are a few other Bears who could get extensions but it's probably going to be a case where they must improve production to get offers later.
Gene Chamberlain|
Defensive end Austin Booker might be among Bears who would be in line for an extension, but D'Andre Swift's could be the last this year.
Defensive end Austin Booker might be among Bears who would be in line for an extension, but D'Andre Swift's could be the last this year. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

The D'Andre Swift contract extension reportedly agreed to Friday wraps up the essential pressing Bears player contract issues GM Ryan Poles must deal with for this salary cap year.

At least it does so at this time. It's always possible there will be another one after the season or very late in the season because there are a few other players who could deserve an extension then. Not a single one of them can say at this time they deserve one the way Swift has. These are all players who have issues to get past in their production before the team can throw cash their way.

Swift's deal is remarkable considering how few people expected him to be a part of Ben Johnson's Bears plans. They saw what happened in Detroit and how Swift had gone to Philadelphia with Johnson as Lions coordinator, and assumed the same would happen with the Bears. But Johnson never was able to land his new version of Jahmyr Gibbs and Swift has been ideal as an all-around threat when healthy. And he has been healthy, which hadn't always been the case when he played with the Lions.

A three-year, $33.75 million deal with all but $6.25 million guaranteed, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, says the Bears really do appreciate what Swift has done for their offense. They said all along. It wasn't just lip service.

What Swift must do now

What they really need to see from him now is more breakaway runs of longer yardage. Although Swift shows great speed, the Bears' longest run from scrimmage last year was a mere 39 yards. Only four teams had long runs that were shorter that that.

"I mean, you've seen some, we had some in the in the fall camp," running backs coach Eric Studesville said. "You saw us pop out of some things. We made some runs. We're constantly talking about it. .... Those are hard to manufacture. They really are.

"So the mentality that we want to have is that when they present themselves, that's when we want to take advantage of them."

Swift already sees himself well situated for more breakaway runs based on a better feel for where Johnson wants the ball to go on his runs.

"I always trained hard and was always a hard worker and things like that when I'm away from the team," he said. "But I was having a better sense of the offense second year going into it, knowing what Ben wants to see from me and things like that.

"So (it's) me being very critical of little stuff, landmarks, aiming points and things like that, then I can go out there and play fast and do what I need to do."

Next in line for Bears cash?

Who's going to get one next then?

The next player who gets one might be Caleb Williams next year. However, there are a few potential candidates before that and the major one is cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

First, though, he's going to need to prove to the team he really has achieved the consistency they all believe he is showing in camp before they'll get him an extension. They have a ready-made replacement already in Malik Muhammad, who isn't really the slot cornerback they're trying to turn him into right now.

In the past, the talk from coaches on Stevenson's improvement has always been hedged with a need for consistency. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen seems a little less critical now after what he saw in preseason and camp.

“I think he's done a really good job," Allen said. "I think he's been motivated to try to be at his best, and I've seen that on a more consistent basis.

"I'm excited to watch him go out and play. He's a really talented player, and when that focus and concentration is there, he's pretty good.”

The thing is, Stevenson is likely to need to prove the focus and concentration are there for the rest of the season and then hope he can get extended before free agency because of his past lapses.

Beyond Stevenson, some players on one-year deals might eventually come up. Center Garrett Bradbury is one and was viewed as a bridge to Logan Jones, but what if he is a perfect fit this season in the offense?

It seems unlikely Roschon Johnson would get one as he hasn't really had much success proving his overall offensive value, and short-yardage backs are low on anyone's priority list. Like Johnson, Braxton Jones, Kalif Raymond, Josh Blackwell and Xavier Woods are all working on one-year deals and those players all need to prove they belong in board in the future. Most could be replaceable by draft picks.

Two potential deals

One of two players who could also fit in depending on his production is edge rusher Austin Booker. He's in Year 3 of a four-year deal but his first two years were spent showing flashes. If Booker shows up as the potentially dominant pass rusher the Bears foresee, he could get something from them by the end of the season if not during it.

The other could be cornerback Jaylon Johnson, although even if the Bears like what they see of him this year it might be difficult to shell out the kind of money he would command as a seven-year veteran because he has missed 24 games in six seasons. Perhaps they could come up with it by cutting Kyler Gordon next year. Both Johnson and Booker would be under contract next year, anyway, so it's not the urgent situation they will have with someone like Stevenson, should he have that breakthrough year.

As for Williams, the Bears will have the most available cap space in the NFL for the 2028 season per Overthecap.com, at $210.5 million. That's when the real hit from Williams' 2027 contract extension would have more punch.

There will be no problem getting players they need in the fold for the future even with the big money their quarterback will receive when they have $210.5 million, and it's likely to be even more because the cap just keeps getting bigger ever year.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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