The Jahmyr Gibbs Show Is About to Begin
With the season about three months away and news currently at a minimum, it’s time to kick off our 2026 Detroit Lions roster preview series. We’ll be offering a profile and projection for the majority of the Lions’ roster, looking at past performances, what coaches and players are saying, and then offering our own projections for the 2026 season.
This series kicks off with one of the team’s most pivotal players: running back Jahmyr Gibbs. And yes, I know what you’re thinking. Can this kid really carry the load?
What We Expected in 2025
Gibbs was already a Pro Bowler heading into 2025, but there was an expectation he’d take his game to an entirely new level. Prior to 2025, it had been David Montgomery as the starter. Based on training camp, it was clear there was going to be a changing of the guard.
Gibbs was ready to take over as the starter. That meant more opportunities and, hopefully, more production. Montgomery still figured to be a big part of the equation, but it was Gibbs’ time to shine as the primary.
What Actually Happened
After starting just four games the previous season, Gibbs did indeed become the starting back. In fact, he played far more than most expected. He jumped to 67% of snaps while Montgomery’s usage dipped to 37% despite not missing any games.
The numbers: 243 carries, 1,223 yards, 13 rushing TDs. Add 77 catches for 616 yards and 5 receiving TDs. His PFF offense grade of 85.6 ranked 5th out of 58 qualifying running backs. His receiving grade? Second in the entire league.
But here’s the thing. More playing time did not necessarily mean more efficiency. Obviously, Gibbs was still electric, but his production actually took a step back in several places.
His rushing yards dropped from 1,412 to 1,223. Yards per carry fell from 5.6 to 5.0. Success rate dipped from 53.6% to 46.5%.
The biggest culprit? The offensive line changes. The Lions lost Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler in the offseason and had to deal with an injured Taylor Decker for most of the year. Detroit’s interior offensive line struggled with Christian Mahogany, Graham Glasgow, and rookie Tate Ratledge struggling out of the gate.
However, as a receiver, Gibbs was absolutely dominant. He increased his output from 52 catches for 517 yards to 77 catches for 616 yards and a career-high five receiving touchdowns.
The Bell-Cow Era Begins
With Montgomery traded to the Texans and Isiah Pacheco signed to replace him, the sky is the limit for Gibbs in 2026. Dan Campbell has already publicly stated that Gibbs will be the team’s bell-cow back in 2026, which represents a pretty significant change in strategy.
The Lions had previously approached the backfield as a timeshare to keep their top two rushers fresh. Now it’s the Jahmyr Gibbs Show.
So what would that look like? For one, Gibbs has plenty of room to grow to reach the level of participation as the top backs in the league. Even with his increased role last year, he was plenty short of some of the biggest workhorse backs.
Christian McCaffrey had 413 total touches. Jonathan Taylor had 369. Bijan Robinson had 366. James Cook had 342. Derrick Henry had 321. Jahmyr Gibbs? 320 total touches with 243 rushes and 77 catches.
All of those running backs had at least 44 more rushes than Gibbs. In fact, Gibbs ranked just 11th in rushing attempts last year.
Can His Body Handle It?
But can his body hold up for an additional 40-ish carries a season, or 2.4 more per game? He’s only carried the ball more than 25 times in one career game and only had 20 or more carries in six games. For comparison, Bijan Robinson has two games of 25+ carries and 13 games with at least 20 carries.
We’re talking about a pretty serious increase in workload if the goal is to get him closer to the rest of the top backs. This is where being a Lions fan kicks in. We’ve seen promising players get worn down before. We’ve seen coaching staffs make questionable decisions about usage.
But here’s the difference: Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have earned our trust. If they say Gibbs can handle it, I believe them.
The Rush Title Is Within Reach
If Gibbs holds up, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll compete for the rushing title. In his first three seasons, Gibbs has averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry. Only De’Von Achane has averaged more over that time among backs with at least 100 carries.
If Gibbs can maintain that level of efficiency with a 15% increase in workload, everything is on the table.
Let’s say Gibbs matched Bijan Robinson’s exact rushing attempts and receptions from last season, but with Jahmyr’s efficiency marks. He would’ve totaled 1,444 rushing yards, 632 receiving yards, and 2,076 scrimmage yards. That would’ve ranked fifth, third, and third respectively.
And that’s using Gibbs’ least efficient statistical numbers. Now imagine if the Lions’ investments in the offensive line pay off and Gibbs can uptick his rushing efficiency back to the 5.6 yards per carry he managed in 2024. You take that 5.6 average and match Robinson’s 287 rushes from last year, and you get 1,621 rushing yards. That’s the exact mark of last year’s rushing leader James Cook.
Throw in some growth in the receiving game, and everything is on the table for Gibbs in 2026: the rushing title, his first All Pro, and even Offensive Player of the Year.
Is Gibbs really ready to join the elite tier of NFL backs, or are we setting ourselves up for another classic Lions letdown? Drop your take below.
