New Bears running back D’Andre Swift is looking forward to re-connecting with his old teammate at Georgia, quarterback Justin Fields. He might want to do it sooner rather than later.
“Justin’s my guy,” Swift, who signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Bears in free agency, said Thursday. “I’ve always been a Justin Fields fan — from Georgia to when he was in high school once I first found out about him. I feel like he hasn’t even touched the ceiling of who he can be. I’m excited to see him keep going.”
It remains to be seen how long Swift and Fields will remain teammates. The Bears are expected to trade Fields and take USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the April 25 NFL Draft.
With hard information scarce, figuring out the Bears’ quarterback scenario has been reduced to reading tea leaves. So take it for what it’s worth that Swift said he had not yet been contacted by Fields since coming to terms with the Bears on Monday. (At this time last year, DJ Moore said he and Fields had already “been talking it up a few days” in preparation for the 2023 season.)
Fields was a touted true freshman and Swift a true sophomore on an 11-3 Georgia team in 2018. Swift led the Bulldogs with 1,049 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns. Fields played sparingly behind Jake Fromm — throwing for 328 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and rushing for 256 yards and four touchdowns in mop-up and spot duty. Against Tennessee that season, Fields and Swift each rushed for two touchdowns in a 38-12 victory.
Fields transferred to Ohio State after that season. Swift played one more season at Georgia and was drafted by the Lions in the second round (35th overall) in the 2020 draft.
Swift said the Bears did not provide any hints about their quarterback situation when courting him in free agency. And he wasn’t about to weigh in on it.
“That’s a decision for the people up in those offices. I can’t really focus on that too much,” Swift said. “I have to worry about my job. I’m sure that’s a decision they will make.”
Likewise, new Bears safety Kevin Byard said the quarterback situation didn’t factor into his decision to sign with the Bears, either.
“Not at all,” Byard said. “My responsibility is to be the best safety I possibly can for this organization. I’ve been in this league long enough to know if you’ve got a good guy behind center, we can do some great things. No matter what decisions we make as an organization, I think it will be the right one.”
