Pride of Detroit
Cast your vote on the Detroit Lions’ Breakout Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
With the NFL season now comfortably behind us, it’s time to take one last look at the Detroit Lions’ 2024 season and celebrate the best moments.
It’s time for the Pride of Detroit Awards, or the PODies. Wait, that sounds like potties. Let’s just stick with the POD Awards.
For the next two weeks, our staff will make their picks for 10 different awards, but your vote will decide the winner. So we’ll try to sway your vote as much as possible, but don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of each article to cast your ballot.
In case you were wondering, you can check out last year’s winners here. You can also check out some of our 2024 predictions here.
We kick off the POD Awards with the “Breakout Player of the Year.” Here are our staff’s nominees:
Jeremy Reisman: Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs made anyone who complained about positional value look like a fool this year. While his rookie season was decent, it was more about how he and David Montgomery complemented each other. This year Gibbs established himself as the true RB1, and even cemented his status as a top-five (probably top-three) running back in the NFL.
Brandon Knapp: Jameson Williams
After overcoming multiple suspensions and off-the-field antics, Jamo proved the haters wrong in his best year yet in the NFL. I predicted that he would break 1,000 yards this year and he did that. He gave the offense a dynamic weapon that can do it all. Whether it’s run on jet sweeps, catch difficult passes, or outrun a defensive back, he pushed the offense to a new level in 2024.
Meko Scott: Jahmyr Gibbs
It feels odd labeling Jahmyr Gibbs a “breakout player” considering everything he did in his rookie season, but he also feels so deserving considering the performance he put on this past season. Once the Lions lost David Montgomery to a knee injury against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, all eyes turned to Jah to carry the load for this teams rushing attack, and boy did he not disappoint! Gibbs would go on to have four straight games of over 100 yards rushing and finished the season among the elite players at his position in nearly every category. So, yeah, Sonic easily gets my vote for this one.
John Whiticar: Jameson Williams
We all knew that Jamo had this potential, but it had been a waiting game for Lions fans. In 2024, he finally showcased why he is a special talent. The sky is the limit for Williams, here’s hoping he continues to grow on and off the field.
Hamza Baccouche: Jameson Williams
I don’t think anyone is more deserving of this one than Jameson Williams. It took three years, but he finally showed his abilities week in and week out and was a consistent thread to attack the defense from every level. It was long overdue,...
