Jahmyr Gibbs: Everything you need to know

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Gibbs will be the team's "bellcow" in 2026, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports. "We're gonna hang our hat on him," said Campbell, whose assumption of play-calling duties last November coincided with a decline in David Montgomery's role. Gibbs' rushing efficiency also declined, though not until the final month, and he averaged 5.3 catches per game with Campbell calling plays. The Lions then traded Montgomery to Houston this offseason, with Isiah Pacheco coming in as a much cheaper depth option on a one-year, $1.8 million contract. Campbell is expected to call plays again, despite hiring an offensive coordinator (Drew Petzing) with plenty of experience in that regard.

The Lions exercised Gibbs' fifth-year option for the 2027 season Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports. It was a no-brainer move for the Lions, as Gibbs will collect a fully guaranteed $14.293 million salary in 2027 as a result. That still puts Gibbs well below the $20.6 million per year Saquon Barkley is earning as the league's highest-paid running back. As long as Gibbs keeps producing like he has since coming into the NFL as the 12th overall pick in 2023, he should become the league's top-earning back. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has totaled 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground across three campaigns. In addition to his dynamic ability as a runner, Gibbs is as equally effective in the passing game, securing 181 of 228 targets for 1,449 yards and 10 scores in 49 regular-season contests. With David Montgomery now out of the picture, the ceiling is even higher for Gibbs headed into 2026.

Gibbs is now the sole clear leader of Detroit's backfield, with the team having traded David Montgomery to the Texans on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Gibbs has significantly outpaced Montgomery in back-to-back seasons despite the tandem sharing work out of the Lions' backfield, but the 28-year-old veteran's departure ushers in a new era for the ground game in Detroit. Since joining the team as a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Gibbs has consistently operated in a split backfield and manufactured dominant production via explosiveness, efficiency and pass-catching chops rather than overwhelming volume. It's worth noting that in 2025, Montgomery averaged five fewer touches per game while Gibbs managed to total 1,839 yards from scrimmage and 18 total touchdowns while handling a career-high 320 offensive touches and suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. Nonetheless, it would be surprising if the Lions don't bring in another complementary backfield option in free agency or April's draft.