Getty D'Andre Swift runs against the Steelers in a 2021 game.
The Detroit Lions want to see D’Andre Swift take the next step toward elite in 2022, and a big way he can get that done is by being a durable force on the field.
So far, it looks as if Swift has dedicated himself to doing just that. Already during the OTA sessions, Swift has been impressive on the field and not just for his work during drills or impressive maturity.
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Already, it looks like Swift is ready to take a pounding on the field, as he has boosted his conditioning in a big way. Some photos have surfaced from the work period that show a very muscular Swift on the field taking on a more imposing look.
Here’s an example, courtesy of Twitter user Honolulu Blues:
D’Andre Swift looks like hes been hittin the weight room this off-season #Lions 💪🏼💪🏼
Seeing a more imposing Swift is a welcome sight for fans, and he looks like the kind of player who could be poised to do some big damage at running back this year with some extra weight to help him stay tough.
Swift Made Weight Room Biggest Offseason Goal
It’s not a surprise to see Swift looking this good, as he confirmed that was something that ended up being a major goal of his this offseason. Always looking for an edge or to improve, Swift revealed when speaking to the media over a month ago on April 21 that the weight room was a significant goal for the offseason in terms of his own improvement for 2022.
“(My goal was to) stay in the weight room, stay in the training room, go out there and work hard. I’m not looking forward to like backing out or anything like that. I’m gonna work,” Swift said. “My groin’s fine, shoulder is fine. I’ve been in the weight room, been training the room, been working, been running routes and I feel good.”
Clearly, Swift is motivated to chase down success on the field with a mindset like that. Over the injuries that slowed him down, the focus is now on improving and attacking the 2022 season in a very relentless way after an offseason of beefing up.
How a Stronger Swift Will Benefit Lions for 2022
Whether or not Swift stars as hoped for Detroit next season behind the team’s front may depend a lot on his ability to stay healthy in the short and long term. Injuries have been an unfortunate part of his story the first few seasons in the league, and that continued in 2021 with the shoulder ailment that held him out until the last few weeks of the year from around Thanksgiving. Perhaps with a stronger more durable looking frame, Swift can avoid some of the smaller nagging injuries that have cost him time during his first few years on the field.
The good news for Lions fans is that Swift got back on the field to finish out the season, and was able to finish it strong against Seattle and Green Bay in the season’s final pair of games. That Swift, with the added bonus of more weight, could prove very tough to stop.
Finding a way to keep Swift healthy and fresh to keep making this kind of impact had to be on the minds of the Lions’ brass into the offseason. Seeing him show up looking very jacked and muscular has to be a welcome sight for the Lions as a result. It might be the biggest news thus far in terms of progress for the team.
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