D'Andre Swift's tenure as a Detroit Lion will be remembered for two things. Being banged up a lot, and times where he showed his full potential. But the latter happened far too infrequently, and at the 2023 NFL Combine Dan Campbell set the table for Swift to be traded by the time April's draft was over.
Swift spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. When free agency opened this year, his deal with the Chicago Bears was literally the first reported during the "legal tampering period." The Bears are paying the former Lion like he's the lead back he never could be consistently in Detroit. On Friday, head coach Matt Eberflus called Swift a "weapon back" when asked about the quick signing.
Of course being back in the NFC North for the foreseeable future (a three-year deal) means Swift will face the Lions twice a year.
D'Andre Swift dismisses revenge narrative attached to facing the Lions
Swift talked to the media on Friday. A question eventually came regarding the Lions, however oddly presented initially ("Do you care about the Lions?"). He wasn't upset at the questioning, chuckling and smiling at the inquiry that included if the Lions are "just another team" to him and if there was a "chip on his shoulder", but Swift also didn't appear interested in offering his full thoughts.
"Another team. That's how I'm going to look at it," Swift said. "I ain't going to say too much about it. It's just another team, that's all."
The line of questions about the Lions starts at the 5:17 mark of the video below. Judge for yourself if Swift was holding back what he actually wanted to say about his old team.
Swift wouldn't be human if he didn't feel slighted by the team that traded him, and there's an inherent something extra for him to face the Lions twice a year now. Even if he won't acknowledge it publicly, the revenge narrative has to be alive and well for Swift this year as he enters a new chapter in his career back in the NFC North.