What Eagles RB D'Andre Swift proved in becoming a 1st-time Pro Bowler, 1,000-yard rusher

D’Andre Swift received a call from Nick Sirianni on Tuesday night. The coach tried to make it seem like bad news. The bit could continue for only so long. Sirianni informed Swift that he reached his first Pro Bowl.

The moment was emotional for Swift, who is in his first year with the Eagles. The Lions discarded him on draft day for a future fourth-round pick three years after selecting him in the second round. He never became the unquestioned featured running back in Detroit, with rotations and injuries limiting his workload, and he arrived in his hometown on the last year of his contract without that type of role solidified. In Week 1, he barely played. By Week 18, he’s a first-time Pro Bowler, first-time 1,000-yard rusher, and going to his first postseason.

So yes, it was emotional.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Swift said by his locker on Thursday. “So to hear that, get that phone call, it was a step in the right direction. I’ll put it like that.”

Swift called his parents, then his friends, to share the news. His father, Darren Swift, was at work at the local gym he owns in Port Richmond and ran outside screaming with joy. 

The Eagles have six Pro Bowlers: Swift, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, A.J. Brown, and Haason Reddick. It’s meaningful for anyone when they receive that type of recognition. The team released a video of Sirianni informing the team of the recipients in a Thursday morning meeting. The news was met with subdued reaction, which players said was because of where they are in the season and what’s ahead of them. 

“I hope I don’t get to go,” Dickerson said.

As Reddick noted, most of those with the Pro Bowl invitation were with the team last season. They still have the bitter taste of losing the Super Bowl and the bitter taste that has been the subtext of the season — and losing four of five games presumably does not mix well with that taste. 

But there’s usually a special feeling for a first-time Pro Bowler, considering the distinction can serve as a form of validation. Kelce has earned it seven times, so now it’s part of a Hall of Fame resume. When he went the first time, it showed his standing in the league.

That’s where Swift comes in. When the Eagles acquired him for a modest price, he was expected to compete with Kenny Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Rashaad Penny for touches. The acquisition made for a nice hometown story considering Eagles officials knew Swift when he was a high schooler at St. Joseph’s Prep visiting their facility, although it was not billed as a Miles Sanders replacement. One summer ago, Sirianni was adamant that Sanders was his No. 1 back. This summer, Sirianni seemed to go out of his way to suggest it would be a joint backfield. 

Even without the endorsement as the team’s featured back, it was clear to those who watched Swift — including teammates — that his big-play ability distinguished him among the group.

“We knew right away when he was in camp that there was some explosion and some unique ability,” Kelce said. 

The question was what that would look like on the field. Swift had not carried the ball more than 151 times in a season. It appeared that he might give the Eagles a bigger boost in the passing game than anything else. And in Week 1, Swift had only two touches on 19 snaps. The Eagles preferred Gainwell, whose dependability in the postseason last year carried weight. 

So for Swift to be entering Week 17 with 1,049 rushing yards (No. 4 in the NFL) on 229 carries (No. 8 in the NFL), it’s evidence that he can be a team’s leading running back. Even more, it’s evidence that he could be among the top running backs in the NFL.

“A lot, but the year ain’t over yet,” Swift said about what he’s proven this season. “There’s more work to be done. We’ll see when it’s all said and done.”

The biggest question seemed to be about volume. The turning point for the Eagles’ backfield was Week 2, when Swift’s 28-carry, 175-yard performance against the Minnesota Vikings was the most a running back had carried the ball in the Sirianni Era and the most Swift logged a game in college or the NFL. It reminded him of playing against La Salle. He insisted after the game that it showed what he could do, and that he “didn’t even scratch the surface of what I can do yet.” That was the night when the Eagles realized Swift should be atop the depth chart.

“Had a great game and broke a late run for like a 50-yarder and he’s just continually worked and continually put himself in position to make plays and he’s done a tremendous job this season,” offensive coordinator Brian Johnson said. “He’s someone who, again, is very dependable, very trustworthy and somebody that we have a lot of respect and trust in to get the job done.”

Swift surpassed 1,000 yards in Sunday’s embarrassing loss to Arizona, and the defeat made Swift’s accomplishment a footnote. But it should not be dismissed. The Eagles now have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers after going seven years without a player reaching that mark. Swift is one of only seven players in the NFL to eclipse 1,000 yards in 16 games. 

“That’s a great benchmark for any running back, ever since I’ve been introduced to the game of football,” Swift said. “To be able to touch that is a great achievement, a goal of mine for a while.”

If anything, it’s been surprising how little he’s used as a pass catcher this season. Sirianni said Swift catches the ball like a receiver more than a running back and has made note throughout the season about how the Eagles must involve him in the passing game, although Swift has been limited to a career-low 39 catches on a career-low 49 targets. But the Eagles have no shortage of top options in the passing game; there’s already been questions this year about ensuring A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert get enough targets. 

He’s No. 4, at best, in the passing game. He’s No. 1 in the running game.

At different points in the season, the coaches were asked about his usage given that he’s never taken this amount of carries. But Swift’s production has not noticeably waned; he’s averaging 4.6 yards per carry with a success rate of 39.4 percent since the Week 10 bye after averaging 4.5 yards per carry with a 45.2 percent success rate before the week. He’s been one of the more consistent players despite the late-season slide. 

Swift agreed that he has proven he can handle the volume of a top running back. The only running backs with more carries are Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Rachaad White, Travis Etienne, Joe Mixon, Tony Pollard, and Josh Jacobs — and only McCaffrey has a better yards per carry among that group. But Swift was reluctant to offer much big-picture reflection, given that the Eagles have more football to play.

“It ain’t over with yet,” Swift said. “Any other questions people have, I’ll be able to answer when it’s all said and done.”

That goes back to the reaction when Sirianni announced the Pro Bowlers. This is the first time Swift reached the postseason. His success was rewarded with the Pro Bowl honor, but it was not completed with the honor. 

And then there’s the question of what’s ahead. Swift will be one of the top free-agent running backs this March, and the Eagles have not given a starting running back a second contract since LeSean McCoy. They let Sanders leave last March, acquired Swift at a modest price, and watched him follow Sanders as a 1,000-yard running back and Pro Bowler. 

To use Swift’s phrase, those are questions for when the season is said and done. He’s already proven he can carry a larger load than he ever has. He has at least two more games — and perhaps longer — to keep doing it.