D.J. Swearinger was playing a home game Sunday for Washington for the first time since Dec. 2018 when he played for the NFL’s then-Redskins.
Only this time, Swearinger was making his home debut for the XFL’s D.C. Defenders after signing with the team on April 5. Swearinger appeared in his first game for the Defenders last week, a win over Seattle that improved the Defenders to 7-1.
The former NFL second-round pick last played in an NFL game in 2020 for the New Orleans Saints. Swearinger was on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad in 2021 but did not appear in a game.
Still just 31, Swearinger felt like he still had plenty of football left, so he decided to join the XFL and return to Washington. In part, he said, to play in front of his five-year-old son.
Back to Sunday. Swearinger was making his home debut for the Defenders in front of a rowdy, sold-out crowd at Audi Field. He reminded Washington fans why he was a fan favorite during his two seasons with the team, taking a third-quarter interception and returning it 62 yards for a touchdown.
PICK 6 DJ SWEARINGER!!!!
||@JungleBoi_Swagg pic.twitter.com/kMEulvz0B0
— Famously Garnet Sports (@FamouslyGarnet) April 16, 2023
The touchdown gave D.C. a 26-9 lead, and the Defenders would eventually pull out the win, clinching a home playoff game in two weeks that will determine the North Division champion.