We don’t know a ton about how different the Detroit Lions’ offense will be in 2026, but we can be sure about one thing: the plan is to feature lots and lots of Jahmyr Gibbs.
After trading backfield mate David Montgomery this offseason, the Lions signaled they are fully ready to commit to the fourth-year running back as the featured ballcarrier in their offense.
The writing was on the wall last season. Gibbs started every game and played 67% of offensive snaps, compared to zero starts from Montgomery and just a 37% share of the snaps.
"He's going to be our bell cow now," head coach Dan Campbell said this month of Gibbs. "He really became more of that last year, but we're going to hang our hat on him quite a bit. We're going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well."
Gibbs is more than ready to be the Lions' "bell cow"
The Lions signed Isiah Pacheco this offseason, but he isn’t the caliber of player Montgomery is and there should be no question about whose backfield this is now. Gibbs seemed more than ready for the challenge at OTAs last week.
"Nothing I'm not used to," Gibbs said of becoming Detroit's undisputed lead back. "Growing up, I've always been the person that's having the most carries and stuff like that, so I'm not looking at it any different than any other year."
But Gibbs and Montgomery were a special pairing together, not just for their complementary styles on the field but for the brotherhood they seemed to share off of it. Montgomery was a trusted veteran for Gibbs when he entered the league in 2023, and the two became close friends as they rewrote NFL record books together. It’s an adjustment, not having that kind of person around anymore.
Gibbs admitted the separation of “Sonic and Knuckles”-- a nickname they embraced by getting corresponding tattoos – was jarring at first. But with OTAs officially underway and football to be played, he’s recognized it’s time to look past that.
“It's not weird anymore. It was weird when we first got back,” Gibbs said. “It was weird, but now I'm pretty much used to it.”
He’ll also have to get used to what Montgomery’s absence will mean for his snaps.
At 5-foot-9, 202 lbs, Gibbs isn’t the biggest running back out there and would be on the smaller side among true “bell-cow” backs. Having Montgomery meant the Lions were able to keep Gibbs relatively fresh and limit the physical toll of being a running back in the NFL.
With Pacheco and third-year back Sione Vaki likely only set to play supplementary roles, Gibbs could wind up playing significantly more than the 67% of offensive snaps he took this year (closer to the 80% range).
The Lions will have to make sure that uptick doesn’t jeopardize Gibbs’ health (he’s only missed two games in his career) or his ability to be at his best come playoff time.
They’ll turn to new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to figure that out, and get the most out of Gibbs while not becoming overreliant.
“He's really smart, he's really strategic,” Gibbs said of Petzing. “He demands a lot of his players, but he knows that we can do it. That’s what he puts on us, and it's going to be fun.”
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Petzing has a reputation as a creative mind who specializes in the running game. Gibbs, with his mix of speed, quickness and open-field ability, is the most talented back he’s ever coached. It’s easy to get excited about the possibilities.
“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,” Petzing said of Gibbs. “I think that's going to be dictated a lot by the people around him and how all pieces fit together."
The past couple of years, the Lions have publicly mentioned wanting to get Gibbs more involved as a receiver. That’s sort of come half-true throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but there’s probably more meat on that bone with how quick Gibbs is and how much of a knack he has for creating separation as a receiver.
This year, Gibbs hinted at having done some route running work earlier in the offseason program than usual.
“In the past, they would say that but we wouldn't get to it till later,” Gibbs said. “Right now, he implemented it on day one. So, I have routes day one. Day two, I have a bunch of different other routes, so it’ll be fun.”
The passing game could be the answer to the Lions’ question of wanting to get Gibbs even more opportunities but not wanting to subject him to too much contact. But it’s still early, and he has his limitations as a pass protector, so we’ll have to wait and see at this stage.
One thing is for certain though: Gibbs is one of the NFL’s most electric talents, and he’s in for the biggest role of his career. Buckle up.
“I'm always excited,” Gibbs said. “I love playing football. It's what I've been doing since I was eight. So yeah, I'm always excited every year.”
Now, can we get that extension done, please?
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