Getty D'Andre Swift runs the ball for the Lions in 2021.
The Detroit Lions have just started to discover D’Andre Swift in their offense, but in the first half against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day, the team sustained a tough injury to their star in the making.
After a hard hit on the sideline, Swift didn’t manage to get up right away and was in considerable pain. Quickly, the Lions spoke on the matter and revealed that their running back was questionable to return with a shoulder injury following the hard fall.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Here’s a look at the announcement:
#Lions Injury Update:
RB D’Andre Swift, Shoulder, Questionable
Swift has run for 266 yards and 1 touchdown in the last two weeks, so his loss would be significant for the offense. If Swift cannot play, it would be easy to imagine that Jamaal Williams, Jermar Jefferson and Godwin Igwebuike would be who the team would likely look at to run the ball.
Swift Got Injured During Sideline Run
How did Swift go down during the game? The running back was along the sideline and got ridden hard out of bounds by linebacker Roquan Smith. The play didn’t look good at the end, with Swift laying on the field in pain and struggling to move initially. Here’s a look at the play when it played out in real-time:
D’Andre Swift appears to get injured on this play #Onepride
Obviously, it wasn’t a good looking play for the Lions, who needed to see Swift stay healthy to have any chance at this game or perhaps future games. The hope is that the injury was not as bad as first thought after this play.
Swift’s Career Stats & Highlights
Coming into the league as a rookie in 2020, Swift has seen the ball plenty with the Lions and he has done a nice job to deliver for the most part when his number has been called. 521 yards and 8 touchdowns was a nice start to the career for Swift in 2021, and if anything, he has proven he can be elusive and be the lead dog for the team’s backfield situation moving forward.
Here’s a look at some of Swift’s best work:
Arguably the best runner on the board in the last draft and a player who many figured would go off the board with a first-round pick, Swift is a hard charging back out of Georgia who was tough in his career playing in the SEC. With 2,885 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career in college, there was little doubting how well Swift would do at toting the rock and fitting in well within Detroit’s backfield situation. Now that he has transitioned amazingly to the pros, there is even less of a question about his readiness. So far this year, Swift has been solid with 555 total rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
This week, Swift will be ready to compete against the team he grew up watching, and it will be a special moment for him as well as his whole family.
READ NEXT: D’Andre Swift Not Satisfied With Individual Success for Lions