Pride of Detroit
With the season about three months away and news currently at a minimum, it’s time to kick off our 2026 Detroit Lions roster preview series. In this series, we’ll be offering a profile and projection for the majority of the Lions’ roster. We’ll look at past performances, what coaches and players are saying about each player, and then offer our own projections for the 2026 season.
This series kicks off with one of the team’s most pivotal players: running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
In 2024, Gibbs set career highs in just about every category and established himself as one of the league’s most impressive backs.
Entering 2025, Gibbs was already a Pro Bowler, but there was an expectation he’d take his game to an entirely new level. Prior to 2025, it had been David Montgomery as the starter. Based on training camp, it was clear there was going to be a changing of the guard. Gibbs was ready to take over as the starter, and that meant more opportunities and, hopefully, more production. Montgomery still figured to be a big part of the equation, but it was Gibbs’ time to shine as the primary.
17 games (17 starts): 737 offensive snaps played (67%, career high)
Stats: 243 carries, 1,223 yards (5.0 YPC), 13 rushing TDs; 77 catches, 616 yards, 5 receiving TDs
PFF offense grade: 85.6 (5th out of 58 qualifying running backs)
PFF run grade: 81.1 (16th)
PFF receiving grade: 90.3 (2nd out of 46 qualifying running backs)
After starting just four games the previous season, Gibbs did indeed become the starting back. In fact, he played far more than most expected. In 2024, Gibbs played 55.7% of the snaps while Montgomery’s share was 41% (including three missed games). In 2025, Gibbs jumped to 67% while Montgomery’s usage dipped to 37% despite not missing any games.
Unfortunately, more playing time did not necessarily mean more efficiency. Obviously, Gibbs was still an electric player, but his production actually took a step back in several places:
Rushing yards:
Yards per carry:
Success rate:
The biggest culprit for the decreased efficiency was the offensive line changes. The Lions lost Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler in the offseason and had to deal with an injured Taylor Decker for most of the year. Detroit’s interior offensive line struggled with Christian Mahogany, Graham Glasgow, and rookie Tate Ratledge struggling out of the gate. While Ratledge eventually turned things around, the rest of the gang struggled all season.
However, as the PFF grades suggest, it was a very successful year for Gibbs as a receiver. He increased his output from 52 catches for 517 yards to 77 catches for 616 yards and a career-high five receiving touchdowns.
With Montgomery traded to the Texans and Isiah Pacheco signed to replace him, the sky...
