Getty D'Andre Swift runs the ball for the Lions against Cleveland.
One of the worst parts of the Detroit Lions loss on Thanksgiving Day was the realization that D’Andre Swift was hurt and potentially lost for significant time given he did not return to the game.
Swift was quickly ruled out of action as the game played out, and Lions fans were left to sweat things out until Friday as it related to his health. Fortunately, though, there is some good news on that front that was revealed during the day after Detroit’s frustrating 16-14 loss.
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Swift left the game with a shoulder injury, and while many feared that injury to be serious, it appears that is not the case. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Swift’s injury is day to day and a shoulder sprain which is not a long term situation for the team moving forward.
#Lions RB D’Andre Swift, who left yesterday’s game early with a shoulder injury, is considered day-to-day, source said. Some positive injury news. Coach Dan Campbell had called it a shoulder sprain.
Swift has run for 266 yards and 1 touchdown in the last two weeks, so his loss would be significant for the offense if the team can’t get him back fast. If Swift cannot play next week, 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. Williams ended up as the leading rusher on Thursday.
Swift, however, may be able to return sooner than thought and could use the rest to his benefit. At the very least, the Lions don’t have to see Swift lost for the rest of the year or for multiple weeks.
Campbell Described Specific Nature of Swift’s Injury
Initially, there was plenty up in the air about what Swift was dealing with. After the game, the coach said that the Lions were dealing with a shoulder sprain with the running back. Brad Galli of WXYZ-TV tweeted about what the coach said after the game as it relates to the injury. As he said at the time, it was a wait and see proposition on Swift.
Dan Campbell said D’Andre Swift has a shoulder sprain.
“It’s a wait and see,” Campbell said postgame. #Lions
The good news is Swift saw positivity come on Friday by the time Rapoport’s tweet came around. Having a potential short-term injury is just about the best news that the Lions could have hoped for.
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 capturing a win during future games. The hope was that the injury was not as bad as first thought after this play, and it seems to be the case.
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Lions Get Positive Injury Update on D’Andre Swift: Report