There are very few things that could ruin the Lions' hype right now. They're a trendy Super Bowl pick, Dan Campbell's doing hilarious spots for Applebee's, and they're heading into 2024 with one of the deepest – and youngest – rosters in the NFL.
As always, the only thing capable of killing the vibes is a crucial injury or two. More specifically, the injury that forced Jahmyr Gibbs out for most of the preseason. Soft tissue injuries are always tricky to deal with, and Gibbs' hamstring issues were starting to look a lot like the proverbial rain on the Lions' Super Bowl parade.
But the official start of Week 1 brought some good – great, even – news with it: Gibbs is expected to be on the field for the Lions' opener against Los Angeles. The parade is back on!
Jahmyr Gibbs is "98-100%" ahead of Lions' Week 1 game vs. Rams
#Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs tells ESPN that he’s ready to go for Week 1. Said he feels about 98-100% after tweaking his hamstring during camp while running routes. “I’m good, just had a little tweak,” he said. Gibbs said he’s “more confident overall” entering Year 2.
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) September 3, 2024
I'm not sure I'd know the difference between my hamstrings being 98% healthy and 100% healthy, but either way, this is the best news possible. Gibbs looked on the verge of superstardom at times last year – he finished with 945 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns – and will be expected to do all the work between both team's 5 yard lines before David Montgomery comes in and steals his touchdown. It's not much, but it's honest work.
Outside of what Gibbs brings to the offense, it's just a relief to hear that he won't be missing games because otherwise, the Lions' running back depth chart is, uh, suspect. Maybe their offensive line is good enough to make any running back look great, but it would be have been an uphill battle trying to win games with just Montgomery and Craig Reynolds as the primary backs.
Fortunately, Lions fans don't have to worry about that. They don't have to worry about anything – that's how great the vibes are, and the vibes are 98%-100% back.