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Running back Alexander Mattison, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Chicago Bears were quasi-candidates to make a major move in the running back room this offseason, but it turns out that Ben Johnson and company were more than happy to run it back with the two-headed tandem of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
However, the two are likely to be joined by a veteran, and a recent starter for the Minnesota Vikings is high on the list of potential candidates. That is according to Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron, who predicted this week that Alexander Mattison will join the ranks of the position group in Chicago as RB3.
“We know Swift and Monangai will get the load at RB. We know that [Roschon] Johnson will be a special teams player, especially with Travis Homer going elsewhere,” Zimmerman wrote. “But the [Ben] Johnson regime hasn’t seemed too interested in Roschan as an RB. I think they will want to add a cheap veteran here. Mattison missed last season due to a neck injury he suffered in the preseason and wants to play this year, and would be a good RB3 option for Chicago.”
Alexander Mattison Had Back-to-Back Productive Campaigns in 2023, 2024
GettyFormer Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison.
Mattison took over as the Vikings’ starting running back in 2023 after the team parted ways with Dalvin Cook.
Mattison played in 16 games that season, starting 13 of them. He tallied 700 rushing yards on 3.9 yards per carry, adding 30 receptions for 192 yards and three TDs through the air.
Minnesota moved on to Aaron Jones in 2024, while Mattison joined the Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year deal for $2 million.
He played in 14 contests with that organization, starting seven of those. He produced 420 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 3.2 yards per haul along with 36 catches for 294 yards and one score.
Mattison will play next season at 28 years old, should he catch on with a team. His projected market value in 2026 is $1.4 million.
Bears Face Interesting Decision on D’Andre Swift’s Future Next Offseason
GettyChicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift.
Johnson turned around Chicago’s offense by rebuilding its offensive line in one offseason and transforming the Bears into an elite ground attack in 2025.
The Bears’ rush offense finished third in the league, producing 144.5 yards per game on the ground. In its entirety, Chicago’s offense ranked sixth in the NFL at 369.2 yards per contest.
Swift, who played for the Detroit Lions in 2022 when Johnson served as that team’s offensive coordinator, put up a career year in 2025 with 1,087 rushing yards and nine TDs across 16 games played. His 4.9 yards per carry was also the second-best mark of his professional tenure, which includes a Pro Bowl selection in 2023. Swift added 34 catches for 299 yards and one score last season.
Monangai, a seventh-round rookie, assumed the role of goal-line back in Chicago and produced 783 rushing yards and five TDs on 4.6 yards per attempt. He also caught 18 passes for 164 yards.
The real intrigue in the Bears’ backfield is going to come next offseason, once Swift plays out the final year of his $24 million contract. Johnson was part of a group in Detroit that traded Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2023 campaign.
Chicago could look to re-sign Swift if things continue to go well, try and save money with a cheaper option as RB1 (or potentially as RB2 if Monangai grows into a starting role), or look at an upgrade via trade or free agency.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group's family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible