If the Lions are going to get their first win on Sunday, they’ll have to do it without their best offensive player.
Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters in his Friday press conference that running back D’Andre Swift will not play against the Vikings due to his shoulder injury.
“Right now, I feel like he’s maybe a week away. I’m hoping that, as a matter of fact,” Campbell said. “He’s still pretty sore, but he’s getting better, he’s improving. But we’ll see where it goes here. We’ll know a lot more tomorrow. You see how he feels day-in and day-out, but as of right now he’s pretty tender.”
Swift leads Detroit with 984 yards from scrimmage — 555 rushing, 429 receiving — and six total touchdowns.
“It’s not easy to replace a guy like him, as dynamic as he’s been,” Campbell said. “That production is by committee now. … We’re trying to find ways to spread it throughout this roster of skill players that we do have.”
Campbell added that the Lions are not considering shutting Swift down for the season at this point.
However, two players who won’t return are receiver Quintez Cephus and kicker Austin Seibert, who are both currently on injured reserve. Campbell said Detroit is optimistic that they will be able to return healthy for 2022.