Why D'Andre Swift and Bears Are Likely Headed For a Split in 2027

This week has been a big one for NFL running backs. On Tuesday, the Atlanta Falcons signed Bijan Robinson to a record-breaking contract extension, making him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Now, early on Thursday morning, NFL insider Ian Rapoport has reported that the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor have agreed to a two-year, $44 million extension. That's not even to mention Jahmyr Gibbs, who is likely to sign his own historic contract sometime this offseason.

As exciting as this is for these players and their fans, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles better be paying attention; this upward trend for running back contracts will likely force the Bears into a split from D'Andre Swift after this season, and he'll need to have a plan in place.

Running backs are still vital to a championship-caliber offense

Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley celebrates after winning Super Bowl LIX. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's been a rough few years for running backs, who until last season had been severely underappreciated by NFL teams. The best running backs were signing contracts that even backup receivers would reject, and the New York Giants infamously chose quarterback Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley. When I spoke to Bears legend Matt Forte after the 2025 season, he told me that he was "indignant" at seeing how badly running backs had been devalued in recent years.

That fad, however, appears to be at an end. Barkley, Taylor, and Robinson have all earned their massive pay raises, having proved their value to their teams and shown the NFL world that you still need great running backs to win championships. As Forte told me in our conversation, the Philadelphia Eagles would not have won Super Bowl LIX without Barkley.

D'Andre Swift has earned a contract the Bears probably can't afford

That brings us back to Swift. While not quite on the level of the aforementioned running backs, he played a key role in Ben Johnson's offense last year and looks ready to hit another level in 2026. And at age 27, he likely still has a few years left in his prime. Unfortunately for the Bears, Swift is playing on the last season of his three-year, $24 million deal and you can bet he won't settle for such a team-friendly deal after seeing the contracts signed this week.

That puts the Bears in a bind. They're just now entering the phase of having to pay the good players they've been drafting, starting with Darnell Wright's record-setting contract extension. He's going to be owed an average of $29 million per year when his new contract officially kicks in, and if everything goes according to plan in 2026, that contract will be a pittance compared to the two contracts the Bears face in 2027.

That's the year when Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze become eligible to sign extensions. Both players were selected with Top 10 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, with the expectation that they each have superstar potential. If they reach that potential in Year 3, they're going to ask for, and be awarded, the two biggets contracts in franchise history.

And that's not even getting into Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland, who are on a superstar track themselves and would be eligible for extensions the year after Williams and Odunze. With that in mind, it's hard to see how the Bears will have the salary cap space to keep D'Andre Swift around on a deal that he deserves, especially when and if Ryan Poles signs Caleb Williams to a massive extension.

The Bottom Line

I'd be remiss not to mention the fact that NFL general managers have several levers they can pull when it comes to managing the salary cap. Ryan Poles learned from the best when he was in Kansas City at the time that they gave Patrick Mahomes his historic extension, so you can bet he knows a thing or two about juggling contracts.

All the same, the current climate doesn't bode well for another contract agreement between the Bears and Swift. He's earned a payday that the Bears likely can't afford, which will drive him into free agency. The silver lining for Bears fans is that head coach Ben Johnson will still be here, and they can trust him to get the most out of his running back room with or without Swift.

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