The Detroit Lions have one of the best rosters in the NFL in terms of impact players, and arguably their most important piece is running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Already, Gibbs is looking like one of the best young runners in the game. His emergence over the last few years allowed the Lions to deal David Montgomery and reshape their depth chart. The intended consequence? Making Gibbs the feature back who can carry the load.
As the Lions get set for training camp to begin, there's nothing standing in Gibbs' way now as he begins his campaign as Detroit's main runner. The boost in workload should be welcome for him and the Lions, and could lead to even bigger things coming down the pipe for his career.
Gibbs' status as a feature back will be in focus during training camp, and that will be a major development for both the team and the runner. NFL.com analyst Kevin Patra singled that storyline out as something to monitor during camp this year.
"Sonic is now the featured character in Detroit. The offseason trade of David Montgomery calcified the reality that Jahmyr Gibbs' bell-cow era is full-go. Gibbs began to take over the majority of the backfield touches last season, and his reps should continue to grow. The Lions likely won't want the dual-threat back to creep to the 300-carry threshold, but barring injury, he'll blast past his career-high of 250 totes."
"Gibbs should also see his role in the passing game continue to rise after posting a career-best 77 catches for 616 yards and five touchdowns in 2025. Gibbs' combination of shiftiness, speed and ability to make hay between and outside the tackles makes him a dynamic threat. The Lions want to ensure that threat stays on the field as much as possible. He profiles for a Christian McCaffrey-type workload and should be in the Offensive Player of the Year discussion by the end of the season."
The departure of Montgomery, in addition to a rebuilt offensive line, figures to give Gibbs the boost he needs to pile up the stats necessary to be in the discussion for top awards. Not only is Gibbs being singled out for this one, but many have called him a potential MVP candidate this season as well.
Gibbs has proven his worth as a runner and a pass catcher, and without anyone else in his way, should finally be able to get the traction needed to become an NFL force.
Tashard Choice believes Gibbs is ready to shoulder a heavier load
Whether Gibbs is ready to win the award or not will depend entirely on his preparedness entering the season. All the work during the offseason to boost his body is starting to pay off, according to Tashard Choice, Detroit's running back coach.
Choice believes that Gibbs has a look about him this year that is unlike anything he has seen before. As he said, it's due in great part to the fact that the Lions have made it clear that they need Gibbs to play a starring role this season.
"He's looked the best he's looked so far in his pro career," Choice said. "The biggest thing was to make sure he understands his responsibility from the head coach. When the head coach tells you he's giving you the keys and you have the responsibility for everybody in the organization, every kid, every fan. My onus is to put that on him and he has to handle that. For him to be in the best shape that he can be in, (we're) praying for no injuries at all, but the fact that he's smarter, he understands the offense. I'm excited for him. He has a big role to play and I'm really (excited) to see what level he plays at right now."
Gibbs has grown into his role in Detroit, and as he has matured in the league, he's also matured as a player. That leaves him in a good position to take the next steps that the franchise needs. He is ready to do the heavy lifting of a feature back and is likely to reap the statistical rewards as a result.
At this point, it seems the sky is the limit for Gibbs. It will be fascinating to see how high his star can climb starting in 2026 and if he can bring home the hardware.
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