Getty D'Andre Swift runs on the field during Lions training camp.
The Detroit Lions were forced to go without the injured D’Andre Swift at running back in Week 4, and it looks as if that theme will repeat itself in Week 5.
It’s all for a good reason, however.
Swift has been banged up so far this season in a big way with ankle and shoulder injuries, and it seems as if the Lions are simply trying to buy him extra time to come back stronger off the team’s bye week.
That much was proven with a new tweet courtesy of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Fowler dropped some knowledge on the Swift injury situation, and as he said, Week 5 is likely to be another week the Lions spend without their star runner on the field.
The #Lions will likely be without RB D’Andre Swift (shoulder) for this week’s game against the Patriots, per source. Plan is still for him to return after the bye (Week 7), barring unforeseen development.
“The Lions will likely be without RB D’Andre Swift (shoulder) for this week’s game against the Patriots, per source. Plan is still for him to return after the bye (Week 7), barring unforeseen development,” Fowler tweeted.
Hearing Swift should return after the bye week is great news for the Lions. This means the team could get him some extra rest and he could come back to dominating in his own way healthier in the future.
The Lions are handling this the right way, even as much as they’d probably like to have Swift back in the mix for Week 5. That will have to wait for now, however.
Swift Talked About Pushing Through Pain
After an electric Week 2 performance on a bum ankle, Swift spoke with the media including ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. As he said, there really was no question that he was going to be playing that time, because that’s his mindset.
#Lions RB D’Andre Swift says he felt the ankle bothering him a little bit today but pushed through because of his “mentality.” Swift added that “If I can be out there and contribute in any way, I’m gonna do that.”
Dan Campbell said for “a sore ankle that was outstanding.”
“It’s my mentality. If I can be out there and contribute in any way, I’m going to do that,” Swift said to the media matter of factly a few weeks back.
In the past, Swift has been dogged by injuries, but he is clearly armed with a new mindset this year. It’s likely he has wanted to try and push through the pain more, but the team is smartly being careful with him.
The Lions don’t want Swift to do any more damage to his body in the short-term, so it’s smart that they are saving him for the future with these moves.
Swift Enjoying Electric Start to 2022
If fans want to see Swift back on the field and are feeling a bit anxious about that fact, they can be forgiven. They only know how important Swift is to the team’s overall game plan.
Additionally, they’ve been wowed by Swift in a big way so far this season. The running back has produced in a big way, and has showed the goods off which prove that he can be a big piece of the offense moving forward providing he can stay healthy.
So far this season, Swift has 231 rushing yards and one touchdown to his credit. He also has 77 receiving yards and one touchdown through the air. The Lions miss what he brings to their offense from a playmaking standpoint, but if the team is being careful with Swift, that’s a good thing.
The rest of the year, the Lions could need Swift to make an even bigger impact that he made on the first few weeks of this season.
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