The Detroit Lions are expected to have one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, and a big reason that is the case is their running game, which is led by Jahmyr Gibbs.
Gibbs has quickly become the best running back in football, and that makes the Lions fantastically hard to defend. This offseason, the Lions locked Gibbs up on a new five-year contract, and he is looking confident and ready to dominate.
As a result of that and his past success, Gibbs is being projected to have a huge impact on the NFL this season. ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler routinely puts together a piece where he projects award winners for the new season with the help of league executives.
Gibbs was the easy pick to win Offensive Player of the Year award honors, with only Ja'Marr Chase and Bijan Robinson receiving other votes to claim the award around him.
"Running backs have won three of the past six OPOY awards, and Gibbs might be next. He has made back-to-back-to-back Pro Bowls despite averaging 225 carries per year as a 1A option alongside David Montgomery. He still managed 39 rushing touchdowns, or one every 17th rushing attempt. And he caught 77 passes for 616 yards last season."
"He'll rise to the occasion as the lead back, the Lions will be competitive and they'll probably be in a lot of shootouts, which will help Gibbs' production," a veteran NFL scout said."
Whether the Lions are involved in shootouts or not, they will lean heavily on Gibbs all season long to lead the offense. Heading into the year, they will be without the injured Isiah Pacheco, and will employ a running back by committee approach behind Gibbs with Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki toting the rock.
With health and a solid season, there's no question that Gibbs can have the firepower to be the most impressive offensive player in the league this year.
Gibbs focused on team success rather than any personal goals in 2026
No matter what any of the Lions' superstar players are projected to do, most of their focus revolves around helping Detroit win, and claim the biggest prize of the Super Bowl. Interestingly, that's true for Gibbs even though he has plenty of reason to puff his chest lately.
Not only did he receive the new contract, but he received a major vote of confidence from his coaching staff as well as his front office. This offseason, the Lions made him the feature back for the offense, and traded David Montgomery. Even though that is a change, Gibbs said during training camp he is more than ready to step up.
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"I appreciate them having that much trust in me. But for me, it's not something that I'm not used to. I think I've always been in that role until I came here. I'm ready for it. It's going to be fun. I mean, ultimately, I just want to win a Super Bowl with this team and doing anything it takes to get that will be 'Pow,' you know?"
Even if Gibbs becomes the Offensive Player of the Year or contends for league MVP honors, don't count on him worrying about what happens with personal stats. He's more focused on helping his team win games and his franchise achieve the ultimate goal of a championship.
Regardless, the projections are in, and Gibbs seems like a lock to be in the conversation for some top personal hardware this season. It's just a matter of seeing if he can get it done now.
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