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Will D'Andre Swift have a limited role in 2023? Is D'Andre Swift's career with the Lions over? Read the latest news about Swift's fantasy situation.
D’Andre Swift has averaged 4.6 yards per attempt and made plenty of big plays in his three-year career. But every season, he has missed at least three games with an injury. Last season, he had the fewest carries yet.
This coming season will be the final year on his contract. The Lions have expressed interest in bringing back Jamaal Williams, who led the team in carries and led the league in touchdowns.
What will be Swift’s role next season? Will he have a limited role as the Lions consider moving on from him?
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Will D’Andre Swift Have A Limited Role In 2023?
Swift posted his highest yards per attempt figure in 2022, with 5.5 yards each time he took a handoff. But he only took 99 handoffs and pitches all season. Swift injured his ankle in Week 2 and then aggravated his injury in Week 3 while trying to push through it. He had to miss three games, and then he was limited after coming back. Following his return, Swift had five or fewer carries in five games and only had double-digit carries in two games.
Swift is set to cost the Lions $2.7 million in 2023, but the team could save $1.8 million if they cut him. The Lions are making no effort to sign Swift to an extension, but they are working very hard to extend Swift’s backfield-mate, Jamaal Williams, before he hits free agency.
The Lions will still have a chance to resign Swift before next year’s free agency starts like they are doing now with Williams, but this situation does suggest the Lions might be planning for a future without Swift.
What's Next For Swift?
Lions fans have been speculating about the possibility of trading Swift. There are a lot of running backs available in free agency and the draft that they could replace him with. The wide availability of running backs makes a trade seem unlikely, as RB-needy teams have many to choose from. What is more likely is for Swift to play out his contract and then leave in free agency next season.
Swift did not hit triple-digit carries last season. He was a real disappointment for fantasy managers who drafted him around the 1st-2nd turn. He was an efficient producer and he did bust out some very big runs after catches—usually only to fall inside the five and watch Jamaal Williams take the ball in for a touchdown.
In 2021, Swift had 151 carries, and in 2020, his rookie season, he had 114. So his role was already limited in 2022. His role cannot get much more limited.
The Lions will still use him and get what they can out of Swift before he leaves. They do want to have a two-running back committee. Swift was the RB1 or RB1a his first two seasons in the Motor City. He started out 2022 as such. He fell to RB2 because of his injury and Williams’ success.
It is hard to say if he will get back to RB1, but he probably will not see fewer carries than he did last season.
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