D’Andre Swift speaks on Lions trade to Eagles: ‘It was a surprise’

It was just a week ago that running back D’Andre Swift was with the Detroit Lions working out at their facilities for their offseason program. But on Thursday night, the Lions shocked a lot of people by selecting running back Jahmyr Gibbs with their 12th overall pick.

Among those shocked by the news was Swift himself. Almost immediately, the team and Swift’s agency were in talks about trades. The whole experience was a whirlwind for the 24-year-old running back.

“It was a surprise,” Swift told the Eagles media in his introductory press conference on Wednesday. “There really was no explanation. Everything went through my agent. A lot of different emotions going up and down.”

On Saturday, a trade was finalized. Swift was going to his hometown of Philadelphia for a swap of seventh-round picks and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

“I’m excited, I’m happy,” Swift said of playing in Philadelphia. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a great organization with tremendous history.”

Swift, the Lions’ former second-round pick in 2020, spent three years in Detroit. In 40 games—just 16 starts—Swift rushed for 1,680 yards and finished with 1,198 receiving yards—an average of nearly 960 yards per season. Notably, however, Swift struggled to stay healthy on the field. Over three seasons, he only missed nine games, but for large portions of the season, his role was limited due to injury.

Despite the shock of the trade, Swift went out of his way in his Philly press conference to share his love and appreciation of Detroit.

“I’m excited to be here, but first and foremost, I thank Detroit for everything,” Swift said. “To the city of Detroit, I’ll forever have a place in my heart. I love them for the opportunity they gave me to just go out there and live out my dreams.”

Later adding:

“I thank the city of Detroit, my teammates, the training staff, everybody in the building from top to bottom, for everything they gave me for the last three years.”

You can watch Swift’s entire media session here.