The Bears were already easing into a long weekend when things got a little hairy at Halas Hall. Brad Biggs summed up the vibe pretty bluntly.
#Bears suffered some bumps heading into a 3-day weekend.
It wasn't just Swift. Rome Odunze, Chicago's No. 2 receiver, also left practice early on the same day, giving the Bears a double dose of uncertainty at two different skill positions less than 2 weeks before the regular season opens.
Rome Odunze, D'Andre Swift left Bears practice early. t.co/PLNTrRtcGB
Swift's exit was the more alarming of the two in the moment. He wasn't just jogging to the sideline for a breather — multiple reports described him as being in significant discomfort when he came off the field, the kind of scene that gets fans refreshing Twitter for an update.
That update came from Adam Schefter a few hours later, and it was about as good as it could've been: sources told him Swift was dealing with a cramp, not a soft-tissue injury or anything structural.
Bears RB D'Andre Swift, who left Thursday’s practice and was said to be in significant discomfort, was said to be experiencing “a cramp”, per sources.
The timing is what makes this worth watching even with a relatively benign diagnosis. Swift is playing out the final year of the 3-year, $24 million deal he signed with Chicago in 2024, and he's coming off a career year — 1,087 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns in 2025 — that put him squarely in line for a new contract, either in Chicago or elsewhere. A cramp in early September isn't a season-altering injury, but any missed practice reps for a contract-year back get magnified, especially with the Bears opening their season on the road against Carolina on Sept. 13.
For now, the read is that Chicago dodged something worse. But between Swift's cramp and Odunze's early exit, the Bears will want a clean injury report before they board a plane for Week 1.