Leave out the hysterical fantasy football owners that took him too early in a draft ( don't say we didn't warn you there), and the perspective on Lions' rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs remains grounded and realistic. Sure there is some natural wishing he was getting more work to show off his talent, but David Montgomery's performance is squashing that to a large degree.
Gibbs missed Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, are he popped up with a hamstring injury last Friday. He did not practice on Wednesday, as head coach Dan Campbell called him "day-to-day."
It doesn't sound like all that severe of a hamstring issue for Gibbs. But soft tissue injuries are always tricky and it may stretch to late in the week and Friday's final injury report before there's much clarity on his status for Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jahmyr Gibbs said he probably won't know till Friday if his hamstring strain is healed enough that he can get on the field this week, but the Detroit Lions say the rookie RB is 'right where he should be' 5 games into his career https://t.co/dzlpxhjj7S via @freep
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 11, 2023
Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery praises Jahmyr Gibbs
Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery spoke to the media on Wednesday. Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, he had plenty to say about Gibbs.
"He’s right where I thought he would be, he’s right where he should be coming along at, at this time," Montgomery said. "We don’t judge players based off of anything else besides achievement. Like there is success and there is expectations and I want people outside the building to put those expectations on him because guess what, whether we believe it or not, it motivates him.
"I have to slow myself down and think that he had one start where he had 17 carries, 80 yards, 5 yards (almost) a carry," "And I believe in each game that he’s been in and played in, he’s had 50 or more scrimmage yards....
Gibbs has indeed topped 50 total yards in all four game he has played this season. Montgomery continued, and finished with a notable punch line about his rookie pupil.
"The same way that he’s having to manage these expectations, in a few weeks he will have to manage the what people are saying really, really good about him."
It's obvious that better days are coming for Gibbs, and they'll be sooner rather than later if Montgomery's insight proves true.