Jahmyr Gibbs had a nice rookie season in 2023, topping 1,200 yards from scrimmage with 11 total touchdowns during the regular season. That combination of 900-plus rushing yards (945), at least 10 rushing touchdowns (10), while averaging at least five yards per carry (5.2), put him in some exclusive company among rookie running backs this century.
But it's also fair to say Gibbs has room to be even better. He's naturally in line for a bigger workload this year, and he has plenty of room for evolution/better efficiency/more consistency as a pass catcher. And it's not like he was completely awful in that area last year (52 catches on 71 targets). But as his carry total increased late in the regular season, his passing game usage became more hit and miss.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has issued a challenge to Jahmyr Gibbs
On Friday, ESPN's Eric Woodyard revealed a challenge to Gibbs from Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. If Gibbs gets 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, St. Brown will buy Gibbs anything he wants.
Gibbs said he'll hold St. Brown to that.... "I'm gonna break his bank" and "might get a house."
Earlier this week, Amon-Ra St. Brown challenged #Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs to get 1,000 yards receiving and rushing in the same season and he will buy him anything he wants. Gibbs says he's holding him to that. "I'm gonna break his bank," he told ESPN. He said he "might get a house."
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) August 2, 2024
Only three players in NFL history have had 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season: Roger Craig (San Francisco 49ers, 1985), Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams, 1999) and Christian McCaffrey (Carolina Panthers, 2019). So it's a low-risk deal for St. Brown to dangle a motivational carrot in front of a teammate. And a new contract that is paying him what it will means St. Brown can afford to pay up.
Per Woodyard, in terms of that exclusive group, Gibbs of course added "I'd like to be in that category."
An important note here is St. Brown said he'd give Gibbs whatever he wants if he has 1,000 yards receiving and rushing in the same season. So it's apparently not limited to this season, as an ongoing challenge to Gibbs and a proposition St. Brown will pay off if or when it happens.