Getty

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs shared with reporters how well the team looked during offseason workouts.

A lot of NFL players and coaches don’t put a lot of stock into offseason workouts. Don’t consider Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs one of them.

While speaking to reporters at Lions minicamp, the fourth-year running back raved about how well the team looked throughout this spring.

“The whole team is doing great. Like, we’re so far [ahead] of where we were last year at this time. Everybody’s playing fast,” Gibbs told ESPN. “Everybody knows what to do. It feels like we’re almost in season form.”

The Lions concluded their mandatory minicamp on June 17.

Jahmyr Gibbs Puts NFL on Notice After Lions Conclude Minicamp

Again, it’s offseason workouts. Anything said about them should be taken with a little salt.

But it’s also not a stretch to argue Gibbs fired a warning shot to the rest of the league, or at least the NFC North, with his comments about how the Lions looked at minicamp. Gibbs and his teammates being in mid-season form in June is quite a claim, and strongly indicates how ready the team is for the upcoming season.

Training camp will be Detroit’s next organized team activities. The Lions will open training camp in mid-to-late July.

Detroit will play its first preseason contest against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 13. That will be the first opportunity for the general public to see if the Lions are in mid-season form.

Preseason performances, though, even need to be taken with a grain of salt. The Lions will play their first game that matters in Week 1 versus the New Orleans Saints on September 13.

Gibbs Entering 2026 as Clear-Cut RB Starter

Being in mid-season form during June is one thing. But if Gibbs’ declaration is correct, the Lions offense has hit the ground running under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

The running back spoke highly of the new OC at minicamp.

“He’s smart. He’s demanding of us, but he knows we can do it,” Gibbs told ESPN. “He puts a lot on our plate, but like I said, he knows we can do it.”

What Gibbs had to say about how the team looks should excite Lions fans. So should the fact Gibbs will be back as Detroit’s primary running back this fall.

The past two seasons, Gibbs has rushed for at least 1,200 yards and chipped in at least another 500 yards receiving. Overall, Gibbs posted 1,839 yards from scrimmage with 18 touchdowns last season.

That was actually a little bit of a drop-off from what he produced in 2024. That season, Gibbs had 1,412 rushing yards and 1,929 yards from scrimmage. He also scored a league-high 20 touchdowns.

Gibbs has averaged 5.3 yards per carry in his career. This fall, though, he won’t have David Montgomery to support him in the backfield anymore.

This offseason, the Lions traded Montgomery to the Houston Texans. The team signed Isiah Pacheco to replace him behind Gibbs.

Along with Gibbs, playmakers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta will be back as well for the Lions this fall.