D’Andre Swift thinks he proved something with his 2023 season.
And he doesn’t think he’s done yet.
“I’m just getting started,” Swift said at Eagles locker cleanout day earlier this month. “I don’t feel like … It was a great step in the right direction. I’ll put it like that. But I know what I’m capable of and everything is ahead of me.”
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The biggest question about the future for Swift is where he’ll be playing next season. Because on the Eagles’ lengthy list of free agents, Swift is a pretty tough one to figure out.
The 25-year-old Philly native had his first 1,000-yard season and was named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2023. And he was still probably underutilized in the Eagles’ disappointing offense.
But the Eagles are usually hesitant to pay running backs. Heck, the reason they traded for Swift before the 2023 season was because they let Miles Sanders walk as a free agent after his Pro Bowl season in 2022.
“Time’s going to tell,” Swift said. “We’re going to see.”
NFL
On top of the preexisting obstacles in the way of Swift’s return, the Eagles’ coaching staff is also undergoing changes and will have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and a new role for head coach Nick Sirianni. How will those factors play into Swift’s future? It’s hard to tell right now.
While his future is a bit unclear, it was obvious how much playing in his hometown meant to Swift this season. The St. Joseph’s Prep product played his college ball at Georgia and then the first three seasons of his NFL career in Detroit.
“It’s amazing. I’m from here so just being able to wake up and know I’m close to my family, my friends, where I grew up at, it’s something I don’t take for granted,” Swift said. “People don’t get these opportunities. To be able to do it in my hometown, have a successful year. We came up short as a team, but I just thank the people in this organization, this locker room, this building for giving me the opportunity to come here and compete.”
After being a rotational running back in Detroit the last three seasons, Swift was able to carry more of the load with the Eagles in 2023. He didn’t end up being as big a factor in the passing game as expected but he did have a career-high 229 carries.
Swift said he already knew he was a feature back but this year he got to show that to the rest of the league. Swift rushed for 1,049 yards with 5 touchdowns, averaged 4.6 yards per attempt and also added 39 catches for 214 yards and a touchdown.
And he also ended up playing in 16 games and could have played in all 17 and the playoff game if that Week 18 contest was more necessary. There had been a narrative about Swift’s inability to stay healthy, but he did it in 2023.
“It’s tough because I know what I’m capable of. It was a good year,” Swift said. “Played in every single game, first foremost, and was able to contribute when needed to make my opportunities count. Blessed to be in the position I am, to be able to go out there every week and compete with a great group of guys.
“The accolades and everything, it was cool. But I would rather be preparing to go to Detroit this week and it didn’t happen that way. It was OK but I know I’m just scratching the surface of what’s to come.”
As it turns out, Sanders ended up getting the most significant contract among free agent running backs last offseason. He signed a four-year, $25 million deal in Carolina and then had a really disappointing season with just 432 rushing yards in 16 games, losing his starting gig to Chuba Hubbard. If anything, that drop-off might only enforce the way Eagles GM Howie Roseman views the position.
The Eagles haven’t given out a big-money multi-year contract to a running back since LeSean McCoy got a five-year, $45 million extension in 2012. And since 2017, thanks to some research from my colleague Reuben Frank last Summer, the Eagles have allocated just $29.3 million in salary cap on running backs, the second-lowest total in the NFL during that span.
And during that seven-year stretch, the Eagles have been to the playoffs six times and the Super Bowl twice. They’ve also had two different running backs go to the Pro Bowl and have rushed for the third-most yards in the league.
Hard to imagine the Eagles changing courses. But Swift is a 25-year-old who might still be entering his prime.
After playing out his four-year rookie contract, this will be Swift’s first chance to test the market as a free agent. He watched as his peers just didn’t get paid last offseason.
“We do a lot,” Swift said. “To see the guys from last year, how they got treated, it’s tough. But it kind of is what it is type of situation. My opinion on it don’t really matter too much.”
The Eagles will have exclusive negotiating rights with Swift until March 11, when the tampering window opens. After that, his agent will be free to speak with any other teams.
Is his hope to return to the Eagles?
“If the opportunity presents itself, we’ll see when we get there,” Swift said.
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube