Throughout the offseason, SB Nation will host surveys for NFL fans, sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook. For Pride of Detroit, we are tasked with fielding questions from Detroit Lions fans, and this week’s question centers around superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
With David Montgomery traded to the Houston Texans, the Lions have made it clear that Gibbs is headed for a workhorse role as Detroit’s undisputed RB1.
“He’s going to be our bell cow now. He really became more of that last
year, but we’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit,” coach Dan Campbell said in OTAs. “We’re going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well. Now, I’ve mentioned this before. He can run everything that we’ve got. He can run every scheme that anybody’s ever run. He’s not just an outside runner. He is not just a space runner. He can create his own space in the middle. And some of his biggest runs have been gap scheme right down the pipe, where he’s had patience, and found it, and guys blocked it up well. So, we’re going to ask a lot of him.” With Gibbs headed to an even more elevated role, it begs the question:
How many rushing yards will Jahmyr Gibbs have in 2026?
For this survey, we looked back at Gibbs’ previous three seasons and are asking fans where his 2026 rushing production will fall.
As a rookie, Gibbs ran for 945 yards, so the first survey option asks if he will exceed that total. In 2024, Gibbs ran for 1,412 yards, marking a career high, so the last choice in the survey asks if he will exceed that number. Last season, Gibbs ran for 1,223 yards, so we wrapped the survey by using that number as the divider, giving fans the option of Gibbs rushing between 945 (rookie season) and 1,223, as well as the final option of 1,224 to 1,412 (last season).
Here’s the breakdown in simpler terms:
- Under 945 (under rookie total)
- 945 – 1,223 (between rookie and 2025 season)
- 1,224 – 1,412 (between 2025 and career high)
- Over 1,412 (set new career mark)
While immediate logic suggests that Gibbs should crush his previous totals, it’s worth noting that FanDuel Sportsbook has set his over/under rushing yards at 1,125.5 (-114). Injuries must be considered when contemplating a wager, but another factor that makes projecting Gibbs’ production so challenging is that he is such a dynamic athlete who can beat defenses in a variety of ways.
Will new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing lean more on Gibbs’ skills in the passing game, which could lower his rushing yards totals? While they’ve publicly said Gibbs’ role will increase, will the Lions minimize that increase in order to keep him healthy? Lots to consider and debate on this topic.
Make sure to vote in the survey below, share your feedback in the comment section, and check back with Pride of Detroit later in the week for the results.
If you want to get these surveys emailed to you weekly, you can sign up here, and don’t forget to check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
