Bears $24 Million Investment Looked ‘Clearly Washed’ Week 1 vs. Vikings
When the Chicago Bears signed running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24 million deal in March of 2024, the hope was that he’d give the offense a potential playmaker on every single down.
Swift had just come off the first Pro Bowl season of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he finished with 1,049 rushing yards in 2023. Wth a versatile skill set and a toolbox full of jukes and hurdles, he looked like a perfect fit for a team trying to finally break out of offensive purgatory.
But after just one game into Swift’s second season in Chicago, some analysts are already calling the 26-year-old “washed.” NFL analyst John Frascella posted the following on X, along with a clip of a disappointing run courtesy of the Bears RB against the Minnesota Vikings Week 1:
“This is D’Andre Swift… He is clearly washed and running in slow motion… If you aren’t stashing Roschon Johnson on your Fantasy benches I dunno what you are thinking.”
This is D’Andre Swift…
He is clearly washed and running in slow motion…
If you aren’t stashing Roschon Johnson on your Fantasy benches I dunno what you are thinking pic.twitter.com/62fFLi2l3Q
— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) September 11, 2025
A Look Back at Swift’s 1st Season With the Bears
His first year in Chicago, Swift stumbled out of the gate with three straight games averaging under 2.0 yards per carry before finally breaking out a bit against the L.A. Rams in Week 4 with 165 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.
His performance against the Rams was the exact kind of all-purpose production the Bears had envisioned when they signed him. It turned out to be the best overall game of his 2024 campaign.
He finished with 959 rushing yards and nearly 400 receiving yards last year, going over the 100-yard mark as a rusher just once (inn Chicago’s Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, when he had 129 yards on the ground).
Is Chicago Bears RB D’Andre Swift ‘Washed’ Already?
So is it fair to call Swift “washed” at 26? Let’s maybe wait until his second season with the team concludes before making that assumption?
The Bears hired the offensive-minded Ben Johnson this offseason. While he praised Swift and his talent publicly, he has also made it clear the ground game has to be more efficient than it was in 2024. Perhaps with time, Johnson can get more production out of the RB.
Swift averaged 3.8 yards per carry in 2024 after netting a 4.6 mark in Philly, and his explosives were streaky at best. Chicago’s broader offensive issues are part of his statistical dip, for sure — the Bears have nowhere near the talent Philly has on its offensive line — but Swift has to be better this year.
Week 1, in the Bears’ 27–24 loss to Minnesota, Swift logged 17 carries for 53 yards (that’s just 3.1 yards per rush) and 3 catches for 12 yards. While that’s not totallty wretched, quarterback Caleb Williams actually led the team in rushing (58 yards). One game is a wee snapshot, but it looked far too familiar for Bears fans who lived through 2024’s inconsistency.
Moving forward, Johnson says he’s going to mix it up in the running game more, with rookie Kyle Monangai likely getting more involved.
We’re not ready to call Swift washed yet — the RB1 job is still his — but his margin for “meh” is getting smaller by the day.
Veteran Bills CB Under Fire After Struggles in Preseason Game
The Buffalo Bills made some veteran additions to their secondary this offseason, bringing back former starting cornerback Tre’Davious White and reserve Dane Jackson to help shore up the unit that struggled at times.
Though both have a long track record with the team and the favor of the coaching staff, one may be in danger of missing the final roster amid some struggles through the team’s first two preseason games — including a forgettable performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Dane Jackson’s Rough Night
The Bills rested nearly all of their starters in Sunday’s 38-0 loss to the Bears, giving Jackson a chance to play against Chicago’s starting offense.
It did not go well for Jackson, who was picked on by Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as Chicago marched down the field. While others struggled in coverage — including breakout linebacker Joe Andreessen — it was Jackson who gave up some of the biggest plays.
His struggles caught the attention of Bills reporters, with some predicting that he could face a challenge in making the final roster.
“You can’t roster Dane Jackson. At least he wont make the roster,” noted Bills reporter Kevin Massare in a post on X.
Injury Could Pave Way for Dane Jackson to Return
While the veteran Jackson may have struggled through the team’s first two preseason games, he could still have a strong avenue to making the final roster. First-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston went down in training camp with a leg injury and has remained out, leading reporter Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News to suggest that he could miss the start of the season.
“[Bills head coach Sean] McDermott left open the possibility of putting Hairston on injured reserve at the beginning of the season,” Skurski wrote. “Given that he has not practiced in weeks, it’s not the worst idea to bring him along slowly. The team will want to make sure Hairston is healthy for the second half of the year. It’s unrealistic to think he would be able to contribute much early in the season after missing so much practice time.”
The shorthanded Bills would likely look to the veteran Jackson as a steady backup if Hairston starts the season on injured reserve. White would likely slide into the starting position alongside Christian Benford, with Jackson serving as a reserve.
Skurski also noted that cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram appears to be closer to the cut line than Jackson.
“Ingram was in the game very late against the Giants, which is never a good sign for a player on the roster bubble,” Skurski wrote.
Jackson joined the Bills as a seventh-round pick in 2020, appearing in 52 games with 28 starts in his four seasons in Buffalo. He left to join the Carolina Panthers last year, appearing in nine games with three starts while making 23 total tackles.
The Bills understand the value of a steady backup, with their depth hurting them last season. Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam struggled when he was thrust into duty when Benford was hurt in the AFC Championship game, with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes often targeting him.
