Jahmyr Gibbs racked up 29 carries for 116 yards and added five catches for 27 yards on Sunday against the Packers, which sounds like a monster day for most running backs, right? Well, for Gibbs, it was just another day at the office, nothing out of the ordinary for how the Lions are rolling him out there. They traded David Montgomery this offseason, then paid Gibbs top dollar, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL. Now, they’re clearly trying to get their money’s worth by feeding him the ball more than any other player in the entire league. And it’s not even close.
The Lions Are Going ALL IN on Gibbs’ Workload
Think about it: Gibbs already has 134 carries and 32 catches this season, totaling 166 touches. That’s the most in the NFL, which is absolutely wild considering the Lions have already had their bye week and have only played six games, while most teams are already at seven. He’s averaging a staggering 27.7 touches per game. If he keeps that insane pace for the whole 17-game season, he is projected to finish the year with a whopping 470 touches. Let that sink in for a second.
A Historic Pace That’s Flat-Out Dangerous
Four hundred seventy touches isn’t just a big number, it’s a historical one. That would be the second-most touches in a single season in NFL history, just shy of James Wilder, who had 492 touches for the 1984 Buccaneers. And let’s be real, Wilder played in a completely different era of football, back when teams weren’t afraid to grind their workhorse backs into dust. These days, teams are super cautious about over-exposing their star players, especially running backs, to avoid injury. But the Lions? They’re clearly bucking that trend, throwing caution to the wind with Gibbs. It’s a bold strategy, but you have to wonder how long he can keep this up.
Will Gibbs continue to defy modern NFL logic and keep this historic pace? Every single game, you gotta wonder if this heavy usage will pay off big for the Lions or if it’s a ticking time bomb for their star back. We’ll be watching to see how this incredible workload plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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