# Why D'Andre Swift fits Ben Johnson's run game > The back Detroit moved on from is now the runner Ben Johnson's offense can't do without. - Title: Why D'Andre Swift fits Ben Johnson's run game | Shortify - Summary: The back Detroit moved on from is now the runner Ben Johnson's offense can't do without. A back and a run-first coach only work when both bend: Swift gave up… - Keywords: bears, nfl, d'andre swift, ben johnson, running backs, news, local, D'Andre, Swift, fits, Ben, Johnson's - Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2026/09/15/how-bears-rb-dandre-swift-became-exactly-the-type-of-runner-coach-ben-johnson-needs - Published: 2026-09-15T11:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: bears, nfl, d'andre swift, ben johnson, running backs, news, local ## Everyone asks about Caleb Ben Johnson fields constant questions about whether he and quarterback Caleb Williams are in sync. Fair enough, that connection matters a lot. ## But he's a run guy first Johnson was, is and always will be a run-first offensive mind. He pours himself into studying and designing run plays with real craftsmanship. ## Same rule as the passing game For those run plays to click, Johnson and his back have to share one vision, exactly the way he needs it with Williams throwing. ## The curious case of Swift Detroit traded Swift away while Johnson was the Lions' offensive coordinator. Now he's an indispensable piece of Johnson's Bears offense. ## Nobody explained the split Neither man has said much about the 2023 parting in Detroit, and Swift is quiet by nature. Five seasons in together, they've merged mentally. ## 124 yards, three scores Against the Panthers in a 59-37 win, Swift went for 124 yards and three touchdowns on just 18 carries. One of the top 10 games of his career. ## Off-script, still right Some things came up that weren't coached that way. Watching the tape, Johnson could see the open space Swift saw and understood the bounce outside. > I would like you to cut it up there, but I see the [open space] that you're seeing. ## The back and forth helps Johnson's view is that the more time they spend together talking through those reads, the better the run game gets. > There's a lot of back and forth, and the more we're together and the more we talk through it, the better we're going to be. ## The numbers back it up Swift ran for a career-high 1,087 yards last season and has started this one fast. Johnson calls his work ethic exactly what the Bears want to be about. ## Skepticism was warranted When Chicago hired Johnson in January 2025, the pairing looked shaky. In Detroit he'd already moved on to Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. ## A cloudy starting point Swift made the Pro Bowl in his one Eagles season, then signed a big Bears deal under the old staff. Then came a career-low 3.8 yards per carry in 2024. ## Get four and a half first Swift ran too horizontally behind a bad line, chasing home runs. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy sharpened him with a mantra: get 4½ yards, then look for more. ## Willing to take the hard yards Johnson believes every call can become a touchdown, and Swift now takes the ugly carries too. Against Carolina he lost yardage on exactly one run. > He's willing to go for those hard yards. ## Paid and staying Swift signed a three-year, $33.8 million extension starting next season, and said he was thankful to stick around and work alongside Johnson. ## Trust is the whole thing Cut for cap savings, Swift would have signed somewhere in a minute. He stays because he and Johnson can lift each other, which makes the bending worth it. > I take a lot of pride in making sure my coach is able to trust me. ## Key takeaway A back and a run-first coach only work when both bend: Swift gave up hunting the big play, Johnson gave ground on how a run gets read.