How quickly things change in the NFL. A week ago, Lions running backs coach Duce Staley was praising D'Andre Swift for playing through pain. Now he's telling Swift to give his body a break.
After playing through a sprained ankle in Weeks 2 and 3, Swift also sprained his shoulder in last week's loss to the Vikings and won't play Sunday against the Seahawks. Staley, who challenged Swift to fight through more injuries this year after the running back missed seven games over his first two seasons, said the Lions had to sit him against his own wishes.
"It’s us as coaches that pulled him out. He wanted to go. He wanted to keep going, and if we didn’t pull him out, he’d still be going today," Staley said. "So that tells me about the energy, the commitment, just the fire the kid has to continue to play."
Swift avoided a major injury against the Vikings, but Dan Campbell and the Lions might decide to rest him through their Week 6 bye. They can't afford to lose one of their best players for an extended period of time. Swift would much rather play, having taken Staley's challenge to heart, and the Lions would much rather have him on the field.
But the coaches have to do right by the player.
"I love when a kid is coming to me every day and saying, ‘Hey man, I can go. I can go. I’m ready. I can go.' And that’s what type of kid Swift is," said Staley. "When you do get words out of him, that’s what he’s saying. You’re not going to get many, but that tells me his dedication and his love for the game, and I appreciate that. All coaches do.”
Staley shot down the idea that the Lions should have rested Swift after he rolled his ankle in Week 1. And he said the last thing they want to do is put him on the field and tell him to "slow down or be cautious."
"More hurt and harm comes from that than just saying, go," Staley said. "You never want to put it in their minds that they’ve got to slow down or they’ve got to protect themselves on certain plays. You never want to do that, and I’m not.”
Related
Swift missed three games as a rookie due to a concussion and four more last season due to a sprained shoulder. He's also dealt with groin and hip injuries since the Lions drafted him 35th overall in 2020. Now he's sidelined by a bad ankle and a bad shoulder. On top of the physical pain, Staley, a former NFL running back himself, knows the toll that can take on the mind.
"It’s tough. Mentally, you start to think, ‘Hey man, what’s going on? Is it just my luck?’" Staley said.
Ultimately, said Staley, it's a product of "playing running back in the NFL."
"You’re going to have days where things don't look good, but you’ve got to bounce back. Like I told him, ‘Hey man, I want you to continue to study. I want you to bounce back mentally and physically and be ready to go here in a couple of weeks,'" Staley said.
Staley stopped short of putting a firm timeline on Swift's recovery, but said the Lions "rely on a bunch of different information" to make a smart decision, such as comparing the film from when Swift was healthy to when he was hurt.
"I can’t tell you how long it’s going to take, but however long it takes for him to get back right, that’s what it is," Staley said.
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker