Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has found an interesting way to improve on himself in the offseason.
In a new story from ESPN's Eric Woodyard, the star reveals that he's been training with MMA star Rafael Cordeiro in the offseason. The two spar, with Gibbs running through the typical gamut of any other combat fighter training with Cordeiro. The intensity of the two sports, Cordeiro told Woodyard, makes the match a heavenly one.
"I truly believe that if you can survive football training, you can survive MMA training as well. It's the same level of intensity," Cordeiro said. "There's no different than the drills that guys do on the field and the drills that you do inside the octagon. It just changes the focus, but when you talk about physicality, he for sure is going to be able to do the transition very, very easily."
This training could also greatly help to improve Gibbs' skill at one hugely important part to the Lions' offense: blocking. With David Montgomery no longer on the roster, Detroit has to rely on the smaller room of Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco to get down and dirty alongside the teams' offensive linemen and receivers also blocking.
Gibbs' strength could be put to the test in 2026
With MMA training, you're gaining the endurance necessary to withstand not just rounds of fighting, but rounds of countering moves and the body weight being thrown your way by your opponent. This can't be anything but helpful for Gibbs, who is going to be the Lions' "bell cow" this season following Montgomery's departure.
Detroit's got other blocking options on the roster, including their tight ends room which consists of Sam LaPorta, Tyler Conklin, and Brock Wright. But, Gibbs managing to become a stronger blocker could unlock Jared Goff's deep-ball game, which is something that teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers have managed to unlock thanks to their strong RB blocking.
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Gibbs is a team player, and seems ready to bear the brunt of the Lions' ground game. Him improving in this one area that's been a weakness for him since coming into the league with this sort of training under his belt would be a massive undertaking, but one that feels necessary for Detroit if they want to replace Montgomery's impact outside of just picking up yards on the ground.
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