The Pittsburgh Steelers must add another running back to the roster at some point this offseason. The team lost Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, and though they signed Kenneth Gainwell and still have Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh needs a difference-maker in the position room.
General manager Omar Khan could look towards the draft to address the need, but Pro Football Network’s Sterling Xie believes the Steelers should hit the trade market and acquire Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift.
It feels like Swift could use a change of scenery. He averaged a career-worst 3.8 yards per carry in 2024, and his 39.5% rushing success rate ranked 42nd out of 46 RBs with 100+ rushes.
One coaching connection for Swift is in Washington, where Brian Johnson is an assistant. Johnson was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2023 when Swift made the Pro Bowl and had his only 1,000-yard rushing season. The Steelers and Cowboys are also teams that could use more running back depth and lean on more zone runs, which has been a better scheme fit for Swift in his career.
Swift being traded is definitely a possibility, as head coach Ben Johnson may want to start fresh at running back, and the Bears seem to have interest in Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who could be available when Chicago is on the clock at pick 10 in Round 1 of Thursday’s draft.
Additionally, the Bears would save $6.6 million in cap space by trading Swift, who signed a three-year deal worth $24 million with the team last offseason and has a $9.3 million cap hit this season.
If Swift lands on the market, Pittsburgh should acquire him. The former second-round pick is a dynamic runner who has posted over 1,200 scrimmage yards in each of the last two seasons. He has also missed just one game in that span.
Swift would form a nice duo with Warren in the Steelers backfield and add some much-needed speed and excitement to Arthur Smith’s offense. The former Detroit Lion would also take some pressure off the passing game and aid whoever Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback will be in 2025.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Though Swift is coming off a down year where he averaged under four yards per carry for the first time in his career, the former Georgia standout’s explosive playstyle and game-breaking abilities are exactly what the Steelers have lacked at the running back position over the last few seasons.
Pittsburgh doesn’t have much draft capital, but they should look to package a pair of Day 3 picks and acquire D’Andre Swift from Chicago to bolster an offense that will look a lot different in 2025.
MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS
Steelers 7-Round NFL mock draft: Pittsburgh trades up for hopeful franchise quarterback in Round 1
Steelers could trade for $4 million quarterback as Aaron Rodgers contingency plan
Proposed Steelers trade package adds $9 million Aaron Rodgers backup plan for pick swap
Read the full article here
