NFL training camp 2022: Lions RB D'Andre Swift wants to join 1,000-1,000 club
Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift set a high goal for himself this season.
When asked at training camp what type of statistical milestones he wanted to hit in this third NFL season, Swift said he wants to become just the fourth running back in NFL history to finish a season with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards.
"I know with [running backs coach] Duce [Staley], the way he coaches me and how I know what I can bring to this team, it can be done," Swift said Wednesday.
Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey was the last player to accomplish this feat when he did it in 2019. Marshall Faulk did it for the St. Louis Rams in 1999, while Roger Craig achieved the milestone for the San Francisco 49ers in 1985.
Swift has a bit of an inside track to joining McCaffrey, Faulk and Craig because of the addition of a 17th game in 2021. He's also a focal point of the Lions' offense and finished fourth in receptions and fifth in receiving yards among all running backs this past season. If he remains healthy, Swift has a decent shot at the coveted mark.
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However, durability and workload are a concern for Swift's goal. He missed four games in 2021 and even if he played a full season, he still could be in a timeshare with fellow running back Jamaal Williams. McCaffrey, Faulk and Craig were all bellcow backs for their respective teams and each tallied at least 214 carries and 87 receptions. Swift rushed just 151 times and caught only 62 passes in 2021 – which were both career-highs for him. However, when Williams didn't play, Swift saw a whooping 56 touches in two games, including 33 rushing attempts in one match.
But Swift believes he can still attain his goal because of Lions running back coach Duce Staley, a former NFL running back himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. Staley joined Dan Campbell's staff last year after coaching with the Eagles since 2011.
"He knows what it takes," Swift said of Staley. "He's been in the position I was in. He's the type of coach that's going to push me to my limits and that's the type of coach I need."
For what it's worth, Vegas doesn't think Swift can hit the 1,000-1,000 milestone. BetMGM put Swift's over/under rushing yards at 849.5 and his total scrimmage yards at 1,399.5.
