It didn’t take long for Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to become a star. In each of his first three NFL seasons, Gibbs made the Pro Bowl. He set new Lions records while leading the NFL with 20 total touchdowns in 2024. Gibbs eclipsed the 1,800-yard mark from scrimmage again during 2025.
Yet, Lions head coach Dan Campbell delivered a clear, scary message on Gibbs while talking about the running back at the NFL annual league meetings this week.
Campbell suggested the Lions will continue to find new ways to have Gibbs contribute to the Detroit offense.
“We didn’t view Gibbs as a runner. He was a weapon. We felt like Gibbs, this guy is gonna explode,” Campbell told reporters Monday. “Yes, he’s a runner, he can run all schemes, he can run inside, outside, the perimeters, but he also can be lethal out of the backfield, and we’re not even there yet.
“We feel like this guy can play some receiver. He’s dynamic and he’s a difference-maker. They don’t come around often.”
Last season, Gibbs had 77 catches for 616 receiving yards and five scores. He averaged eight yards per reception while finishing third on the team in targets.
Lions’ Dan Campbell Delivers Strong Words on RB Jahmyr Gibbs
It’s a little crazy to think about Gibbs being even better than what he’s been in his first three seasons. But the running back has proven early in his career there’s not much he can’t do as an offensive weapon.
In all three of his seasons, he’s averaged at least five yards per carry. His receiving yards have increased every year too.
Based on what Campbell said about the running back at the league meetings, it sounds as though Gibbs’s totals in receiving might go up again in 2026.
The Lions faced criticism for drafting Gibbs at No. 12 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Not because pundits didn’t see the running back as very talented but due to positional value.
Gibbs is doing everything possible to prove he was worth of that draft position.
The running back has convinced Campbell. The Lions head coach implied Gibbs should have been an earlier selection.
“We’d have taken him earlier. We would have taken him earlier,” said Campbell.
Gibbs Favorite for 2026 NFL Award
The Lions running back turned just 24 years old in March. He’s firmly in his prime, and because of what he’s already accomplished, Gibbs faces high expectations entering 2026.
Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith wrote on March 23 that Gibbs is the betting favorite to win the league’s 2026 Offensive Player of the Year award.
“Gibbs’ odds to win Offensive Player of the Year are +700,” Smith wrote. “The next-best odds go to Falcons running back Bijan Robinson at +800, followed by Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase at +900, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey at +1000, Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at +1100 and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson at +1200.”
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba won the award while leading the NFL in receiving last season.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley was the last running back to win the award during the 2024 campaign. Barkley finished just shy of the single-season rushing record in 2024. He also led the NFL with 2,283 yards from scrimmage.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lions’ Dan Campbell Firmly Puts NFL on Notice With Jahmyr Gibbs appeared first on Heavy Sports.