Jahmyr Gibbs is the highest-paid running back in NFL history, and he thinks that should be reflected in your fantasy football draft.
“For sure,” Gibbs said with a reported smile Tuesday when asked if he’d take himself with the No. 1 pick in a fantasy football draft, according to the Lions’ team website. “I’m either going to make a lot of people happy or mad.”
The Detroit Lions signed Gibbs, a Pro Bowler in each of his three seasons in the NFL (2023-25), to a three-year, $67.5 million extension in August, with the $22.5 million average annual value a record for a running back.
Last season (2025), Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry, while tallying 77 receptions for 616 yards and five touchdowns. The year prior (2024), he rushed for 1,412 yards and an NFL-high 16 scores on 5.6 yards per carry.
Now, Gibbs, who has averaged 246.5 carries per season since 2024, is likely in store for a larger workload this season, as the Lions traded veteran running back David Montgomery, who averaged 187.3 carries per season from 2023-25, to the Houston Texans. Last season, Gibbs and Montgomery were the only Detroit players to get the call on the run more than three times, combining for 401 carries. Moreover, aside from Gibbs, the Lions’ current running back room – Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki – has a combined nine NFL carries under their belt.
“I guess I’m getting most of the carries. I feel good [about that],” Gibbs expressed about likely getting more carries. “It’s nothing I haven’t done before. It’s going to be cool.”
Following a 9-8 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2022, the Lions fired offensive coordinator John Morton, who replaced the outgoing Ben Johnson – the now-head coach of the Chicago Bears. Former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is Detroit’s new coordinator. After being fifth in the NFL in rushing yards in 2023 (135.9 per game) and sixth in 2024 (146.4 per game), the Lions were 14th (120.1 per game) last year.
Gibbs and the Lions open the 2026 regular season at home against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET on FOX).
