The Detroit Lions have doubled down on running back Jahymr Gibbs this offseason. When they traded away David Montgomery, the writing was on the wall it was set to be a bigger year for the young back.
Heading into 2026, it's clear that is going to be the case in a major way. Gibbs is the feature piece in Detroit, and it's a role that has been a long time coming for the electric weapon. Better yet, the new offensive coordinator is fully in his corner.
Drew Petzing took over this offseason and inherited an embarassment of riches at the skill positions as well as at quarterback. After retooling the offensive line, the expectation is the coordinator can get a formally struggling Detroit offense off the mat.
The biggest way Petzing can get this done? Using Gibbs to his full potential. That potential can be measured in a variety of ways, including catching passes and running the ball even more than he has in the past. Fortunately, Petzing doesn't seem to think anything will be an issue for such a dynamic talent like Gibbs.
"I think it can change as we go. I think a lot of it's going to be dictated by what we're good at as a unit. Where are we the best? Where are we the most effective? Who are we playing, and how do we utilize his skill set to build on that? He does so many things at a high level that I don't think there's necessarily a ceiling or a cap on what that could look like. I think that's going to be dictated a lot by the people around him and how all pieces fit together."
The role that Petzing is describing for Gibbs is exactly what many have been saying both he and the team should be eyeing. The Lions need to be as dynamic and unpredictable as possible on offense, and turning loose their best player could well accomplish that mission.
Hearing that Petzing doesn't want to put a ceiling on exactly what Gibbs can do or accomplish is an exciting admission before the season.
Gibbs sounds prepared to do whatever Lions need to boost offense
In terms of his role, Gibbs is ready to embrace whatever the Lions ask him to do. During the offseason, he doesn't plan on doing any extra preparation to boost his body for an added workload, because in his mind, he's been working like that as long as he can remember.
"It's nothing (that) I'm not used to. (When I was) growing up, I've always been the person that's had the most carries and stuff like that. So, I'm not looking at (preparing) any other (way), any different than any other year."
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Every season since he has been a rookie, Gibbs has been able to show up prepared and ready to do whatever he has asked. As for Gibbs and his new offensive coordinator, it seems like it's a solid relationship already. After a short time on the job, Gibbs has come to appreciate what his new boss brings to the table.
"He's really smart. He's really strategic. He demands a lot of his players, but he knows that we can do it. So, that's what he puts on us, and it's going to be fun."
So far, it seems Petzing is off to a better start with the important players on his roster than the man he replaced. That's good news as it relates to maximizing their talent and finding a way for the offense to get back on top. It's wise to not put any constraints on Gibbs for 2026 as a result.
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