One of the most notable absences during the Detroit Lions' offseason workouts has been running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has not participated in any of the open practices the team has had thus far, including mandatory minicamp.
Ahead of Wednesday's practice, head coach Dan Campbell revealed that Gibbs has been dealing with a soft-tissue injury, but he didn't go into specifics. Campbell did note that the injury is not something that has carried over from last season.
Gibbs is coming off an impressive rookie campaign in which he tallied 1,261 yards from scrimmage (945 rushing, 316 receiving) and 11 total touchdowns. Making his numbers even more impressive is the fact that he had to split touches with David Montgomery.
Dan Campbell says Jahmyr Gibbs is just dealing with a soft-tissue injury. Nothing carried over from last season.
— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) June 5, 2024
Ahead of his second season, the Lions are hoping to see more out of Gibbs, especially as a receiver.
"What we need him to do from a passing game standpoint is go to that next level," Montgomery said, via The Detroit Free Press. "I do think there's a certain difference between route running from the backfield and being a really, really sufficient and efficient check-down runner versus what it is to be a great route runner, a guy that can run all types of choice (routes). We know we've seen him do those things, but now can you go into the slot and do a little bit more down the field? Some intermediate stuff, can we continue to grow him there? And that's what we're trying to do."
With Montgomery and Gibbs, the Lions have one of the very best running back duos in the NFL. After finishing with the fifth-best rushing attack last season, Detroit should be right back near the top of the league once again in 2024.
