Lions’ RB D’Andre Swift is still dealing with shoulder and ankle issues, though he did not suffer any setbacks in Week 9 according to head coach Dan Campbell.
Swift was limited to just 16% of offensive snaps in Week 9 against Green Bay, which led to speculation that he suffered a new injury in the win, given that he played in 55% of the offensive snaps just one week earlier against Miami.
“We’re hopeful what we gave him this week we didn’t feel like was too much,” Campbell said of Swift and Week 9. “We gave him enough plays to where we felt like he could handle it and we could use the things that he does well,” Campbell added. “We’re hopeful we can give him a little bit more [in Week 10].”
Swift missed Weeks 4, 5, and 7 (the Lions’ bye week was in Week 6) with a combination of shoulder and ankle injuries. He returned in Week 8 against Miami and looked good in a minimal role, with five carries for six yards to go with five receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.
Against the Packers he was used less but produced more, carrying the ball twice for 10 yards while picking up another 40 receiving yards on three receptions. It appears Detroit is taking a cautious approach to his return, opting to limit his production rather than his snaps. In the most recent two games, the Lions have given him the opportunity to make plays and show off his skill set, but shut him down once they feel he’s done enough.
Our algorithm still has his Injury Risk at 32%, which is High. Essentially that means he is at risk of getting injured on 32% of active snaps. His Health Performance Factor isn’t much better, at 33%, which is considered Poor.
We believe he is still 20 days away from Optimal Recovery, meaning he will likely be limited for the next two weeks at least before the Lions give him more chances to play.