Pride of Detroit
If Jahmyr Gibbs hits a statistical benchmark in 2025, Amon-Ra St. Brown has promised him a HUGE prize.
Last year, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had one of the best seasons among players at his position. He finished with 1,929 yards from scrimmage—1,412 rushing and 517 receiving. Only three players topped Gibbs in 2024: Saquon Barkley (2,283 scrimmage yards) and Derrick Henry (2,114).
If you remember back from last training camp, Gibbs was chasing a pretty illustrious goal: finishing the season with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. It was a challenge brought to him by teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. Gibbs told Eric Woodyard of ESPN that if he accomplished that goal, St. Brown would give him anything he wants.
“I’m gonna break his bank,” Gibbs told ESPN last year. Adding he “might get a house.”
Well, it turns out the bet still stands. Woodyard followed up with Gibbs this past weekend at the running back’s youth camp in Novi, Michigan, and the bet is still on.
“It’s still still a goal,” Gibbs said. “I asked a (St. Brown) about it again. He’s going to get me a house.”
In NFL history, there have only been three running backs who have accomplished 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. 49ers back Roger Craig was the first to do it in 1985 (1,050 rushing yards, 1,016 receiving). Rams rusher Marshall Faulk did it next in 1999 (1,381 rushing, 1,048 receiving). The most recent running back to do it was Christian McCaffrey, who did it in 2019 with the Panthers (1,387 rushing, 1,005 receiving).
The rushing aspect of it should not be a problem with Gibbs. He had 945 rushing yards his rookie season and 1,412 last year. However, his career high in receiving yards is just 517, so it would take a significant jump in the passing game for him to become the fourth running back to accomplish that feat.
That said, the Lions have long toted Gibbs’ ability to be an “offensive weapon” beyond just the backfield. They have teased several times that they want to line him out wide more, but had to scale those plans back in each of his first two seasons. Could this be the year where they get more creative with Gibbs—and could that result in the third-year back earning historic numbers? We’ll have to wait and see.
