The Detroit Lions made quite a shocking move with the No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night, selecting former Alabama Crimson Tide star running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The move was surprising because Gibbs himself wasn’t even expecting to hear his name until after pick No. 20. But more than that, it was surprising because the Lions already have a star running back.
D’Andre Swift was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and has been the focal point of the team’s backfield ever since. But based on some recent comments from Lions general manager Brad Holmes, it sounds like his time with the team could be coming to a close.
Following the Gibbs pick, Holmes was asked about Swift’s status with the team. And he sure didn’t sound very confident that he’d be back.
Lions GM Brad Holmes on RB D'Andre Swift:
"Yeah, I mean, D'Andre, he's still on our roster. He's still part of our team. He's still under contract with us. He's a dynamic football player. So, (the Gibbs pick) hasn't really changed the math there yet, but, you know, it is early."
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) April 28, 2023
“Yeah, I mean, D’Andre, he’s still on our roster. He’s still part of our team. He’s still under contract with us. He’s a dynamic football player. So, (the Gibbs pick) hasn’t really changed the math there yet, but, you know, it is early,” Holmes said, according to Colton Pouncy.
It’s a pretty brutal message to Swift, and the comments have since gone viral.
If there was any doubt remaining that Swift would be traded… https://t.co/JAl04lMQbf
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 28, 2023
Swift walking into Allen Park tomorrow https://t.co/Bd2b4trp0f pic.twitter.com/XLIYV4cwd0
— Alex Drain (@Alex_Drain) April 28, 2023
I overloaded the woof meter in my head at the "he's still on our roster" opener. https://t.co/TDyT95bSam
— Ben Raven (@BenjaminSRaven) April 28, 2023
“Yeah he’s TECHNICALLY on the team but he won’t be for long lol” https://t.co/n1GZjtPru1
— Championship Connoisseur (@UMvsEveryone) April 28, 2023
Genuinely seems like he did not expect to be asked about this. Incredible response, 12/10, no notes. https://t.co/UbT1wWwbMl
— Chris Towers is the Riley Greene Preservation Soc (@CTowersCBS) April 28, 2023
Translation: We’ve entered D’Andre Swift into the transfer portal. https://t.co/5lFljRGGJj
— SnoopySparty🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️ (@SnoopySparty7) April 28, 2023
We’ll certainly have to see how this situation plays out between Swift and the Lions.
