Rhamondre Stevenson contract makes Bears look smarter for signing D’Andre Swift

The Chicago Bears’ decision to sign free-agent running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency was initially met with mixed reviews. Swift enjoyed a career-best season with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. The former Georgia standout rushed for 1,049 yards.

Swift’s contract began looking slightly better as free agency progressed. One day after Chicago inked Swift, the arch-rival Green Bay Packers signed Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million deal. The reigning rushing champion Christian McCaffrey, who is in a different category of player from Swift, recently signed an extension with the San Francisco 49ers that contained $38 million in new money.

The Bears didn’t give D’Andre Swift a 3 year deal with $15M guaranteed to not make him the featured back. Swift is coming off the best year of his career and has a better chance of getting more receiving and goal line work in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/HFe2qJF68G

— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) June 6, 2024

Perhaps more notably, the New England Patriots signed Rhamondre Stevenson to a four-year, $36 million extension earlier this week. Stevenson will earn $9 million per season, $1 million more than Swift’s average annual salary. Injury limited him to 12 games last year, and he rushed for 619 yards, 430 fewer than Swift did.

Swift’s annual salary of $8 million per campaign now ranks eighth among all running backs (tied with Derrick Henry, who inked a two-year, $16 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens). The $24 million total overall value of Swift’s deal now ranks ninth and is quickly falling out of the top 10. Swift ranked fifth in rushing yards last season.

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A new metric that NFL teams increasingly utilize to determine contract value includes the average percentage the contract eats into the 2024 cap. Swift’s deal is taking up 3.13% of the 2024 salary cap, according to Spotrac. That’s also tied for ninth among all running backs alongside Henry and his contract with the Ravens.

It’s worth admitting that Swift isn’t some established annual Pro Bowler like Jacobs, Henry or McCaffrey are. But with injuries, inconsistencies, and just one 1,000-yard rushing campaign apiece in their backgrounds, the Stevenson deal feels like a fair contract comparison for Swift. Recent market happenings insinuate the Bears received fair value when signing Swift.