Jahmyr Gibbs overcomes thigh injury in time for opening game

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs plans to start his second NFL season on time when the Detroit Lions open their 2024 season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.

Gibbs suffered a hamstring injury during training camp on Aug. 12, and the former Alabama ball carrier only returned to practice last week.

On Monday, Detroit coach Dan Campbell said defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu was the only player the Lions had injury concerns about before the season opener.

“I feel good,” Gibbs said Tuesday. “… I mean, when I came back, I had to get back into shape. The first day was tough, I won't deny that. But other than that, it was good.”

Gibbs made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after rushing for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns on 182 carries and catching 52 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown in 15 regular season games.

Following that performance on the PFWA All-Rookie Team, Gibbs became the eighth rookie in NFL history with at least 144 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the postseason. And he is the only one in that group to also have 11 or more receptions.

In 2024, Gibbs said, he expects “faster play without thinking, just reactionary.”

“I'm confident about the offense as a sophomore,” Gibbs said. “Knowing the offense better and being more confident helps me perform overall and I feel good.”

Detroit split its backfield duties between Gibbs and David Montgomery in 2023. Montgomery ran for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns on 219 carries and caught 16 passes for 117 yards in 14 regular-season games.

The backfield duo returns for the 2024 season.

“We rely heavily on the running game, so I think it's a lot dependent on us and what we do consistently,” Gibbs said. “So it's about being consistent every week and just doing well every week by following our landmarks and knowing what we're supposed to do. I think everything will fall into place after that.”