Three-team trades are a rarity in the NFL, but they are certainly fun to hypothesize over.
And, according to Seth Walder of ESPN, “just because we almost never see three-team trades in the NFL doesn’t mean they can’t happen.”
True. In his July 30 article for ESPN, Walder put together five hypothetical “trades that would make sense” for all teams involved, and he has the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers making a deal that would send running back D’Andre Swift to L.A. and current Bucs RB Rachaad White to the Bears.
Let’s break it down.
Bears Trade Proposal Swaps D’Andre Swift for Rachaad White
Here’s a complete look at Walder’s proposal:
- Bears would receive: RB Rachaad White, 2027 seventh-round pick (from Chargers)
- Chargers would receive: RB D’Andre Swift, 2026 sixth-round pick (from Bears)
- Buccaneers would receive: 2026 fifth-round pick (from Bears)
Walder believes swapping Swift out for White might be enough incentive to make the Bears toss in a few extra late-round picks.
“Swift posted a remarkably poor negative-174 rush yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats, which was the worst total of any player last season,” Walder wrote. “It marked the third season out of the past four in which Swift recorded negative rush yards over expectation; he posted negative first downs over expectation in all four of those seasons.”
With new head coach Ben Johnson running things, Walder also thinks White is more what Johnson wants for his offense.
“White, in contrast, added 48 rush yards over expectation on 144 carries last season in Tampa Bay. And he’s elite in the pass game, with the second-best overall receiver score over the past three seasons combined — behind only Christian McCaffrey and one spot ahead of Austin Ekeler. That sounds like the kind of player Johnson could employ to great effect — like he did with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.”
This Would Be Both a Good & a Bad Trade for Bears
“The tricky part about making this deal is that Swift is owed $7.9 million in cash ($7.4 million of which is fully guaranteed) this season, more than he’s worth based on his production history,” Walder also noted. “Thus, the Bears would find themselves on the wrong end of a sixth- and seventh-round pick swap to deal him to the Chargers.”
In this proposal, Chicago would essentially downgrade two draft picks to make this swap happen: from a 2026 fifth and sixth to a 2027 seventh. Still, running backs have relatively short shelf lives, and if the Bears view White as a two-year bridge or longer-term option, they may view the picks as expendable.
A Look at What White Could Bring to Chicago
White entered the NFL as a third-round pick by the Bucs in 2022, and he has turned into a versatile dual-threat. Over his first three seasons, he has amassed 2,084 rushing yards on 545 carries (3.8 yards per carry), scoring 10 touchdowns on the ground.
He’s also emerged as a legit receiving threat, netting 165 receptions for 1,232 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2024, in 16 games (15 starts), White finished with 144 carries for 613 yards and three TDs, also adding 51 catches for 393 yards and six receiving scores.
His 2024 campaign was noticeable for his improvement in efficiency, as he raised his yards-per-carry average to 4.3 after back-to-back years below 3.7. Despite sharing touches with rookie Bucky Irving, he remained productive and reliable, particularly in the passing game.
