Jahmyr Gibbs’ role with the Detroit Lions could be changing a lot in 2026
Detroit Lions could be setting up a major shift for Jahmyr Gibbs in 2026, as new weapons and evolving roles start to reshape how their explosive playmaker is used in the offense
When the Detroit Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the expectation for him was simple, and Lions GM Brad Holmes let us know over and over again after the draft. This guy is a weapon.
“When I first got with the Rams in 2003, Marshall Faulk was still there, and I was a huge Marshall Faulk guy — just kind of seeing what he does in both phases,” Holmes said. “And just from a scouting standpoint, when Christian McCaffrey came out, he was the last guy that I was like, ‘Holy cow, this guy can run routes like a slot receiver but also run it.’ So, you start getting reminders of those players. I’m not sitting here saying Jahmyr Gibbs is those players, but (he’s) just a special weapon like that. We have a lot of excitement and optimism.”
That’s exactly what Gibbs has been since getting to Detroit. He’s been just as big a part of the pass game as the running game.
But do the Lions still need Jahmyr Gibbs to be that weapon?
In 2025, Gibbs caught 77 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns. It’s hard to say that Detroit would want to go ahead and completely take him out for the pass game, but at the same time, look what this team has done when it comes to pass-catching options this offseason.
At receiver alone, you can expect that Isaac TeSlaa sees a lot more targets, but there’s also Greg Dortch and rookie Kenrick Law. Both of these guys specialize in the kind of plays that Gibbs would normally be used for in the pass game. A lot of underneath stuff and screens. There’s the addition of Tyler Conklin as well. He’ll be catching passes alongside Sam LaPorta.
There are just so many places to go with the ball that you have to wonder if the Lions look at this as an opportunity to dial back Gibbs’ usage in the pass game in favor of utilizing him in the run game a lot more.
There are benefits to it for sure. You’re theoretically able to keep Gibbs from taking as many hits as he’d be taking doing both rushing and receiving all the time. That alone is worth the change.
Again, we’re not saying the Lions want to go away from it completely. That would be crazy. But we are saying with an uptick in weapons, it’s only going to be natural that Gibbs’ usage changes. We’ll see what happens once the season starts.
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