Entering his age 27-season, D'Andre Swift would be a perfect pair with Bijan Robinson. The Chicago Bears could save $7.5 million by cutting ties with Swift, allowing the Atlanta Falcons' new general manager Ian Cunningham to swoop in and bring his guy with him to Atlanta.
Cunningham was the assistant GM in Chicago while the Bears signed Swift in 2024. Since then he's ran for over 2,100 yards, 15 touchdowns and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. In 2025 Swift enjoyed the best season of his career, averaging 4.9 yards per carry while scoring nine touchdowns and rushing for 1,087 yards.
The problem for him in Chicago isn't his performance but his potential successor. Seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai played well enough in 2025 to earn sole RB1 responsibilities. The rookie ran for 783 yards on 169 carries and five touchowns.
Ian Cunningham could use the Bears' financial situation to bring D'Andre Swift to Atlanta to back up Bijan Robinson
Alex Ballentine from Bleacher Report believes Monangai's presence could be the reason Swift gets cut. The general idea is to pair him with a rookie from the upcoming draft class to recreate their 2025 running back production, but cheaper, since Swift is being looked at as a potential cap casualty.
If this occurs, Cunningham must consider pairing Swift with Bijan Robinson in Atlanta. Three-year backup running back Tyler Allgeier is hitting free agency this offseason and will likely look for a new home to start.
The next running back on the depth chart is rookie undrafted free agent Nathan Carter, who rushed for 60 yards over just nine carries in 2025 with the Falcons. The Michigan State running back never produced an elite college season but entered the 2025 NFL Draft anyway.
During his final season at Michigan State, he rushed for 499 yards (4.3 YPC) and five touchdowns. It's hard to imagine the Rochester, NY native becoming the Falcons second string back despite playing well in limited garbage time this season.
The good news is that the Falcons must make a move. Pairing Swift with Robinson seems like a good fit. Cunningham has seen Swift's potential in Chicago and Kevin Stefanski will know how to scheme him well in the run game.
Not only is he a strong rusher, but he's dynamic as a pass catcher. Swift has caught 271 passes over his six-year career and averages 7.7 yards per catch. This similarity is another reason to pair him with Robinson: He's a perfect scheme fit; now the ball is in Cunningham's court.