Dan Campbell issues a thinly-veiled warning to Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs

The Detroit Lions gave fans what they were asking for by making star running back Jahmyr Gibbs the clear-cut primary option in the backfield. However, the results have been surprisingly underwhelming thus far and his hyper-efficiency and explosive rate have predictably regressed in an expanded role.

Meanwhile, as Gibbs gets acclimated to his increased utilization, David Montgomery continues to excel with his reduced workload. So much so that Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated a reshuffling of the split between the dynamic duo, AKA Sonic and Knuckles, once again.

Campbell is a straight shooter. He's typically one of the most reliable coaches in the NFL when it comes to transparency with the media. With that in mind, his recent comments about the Lions' desire to get Montgomery more involved are especially noteworthy and don't reflect well on Gibbs.

Dan Campbell sends a clear message to Jahmyr Gibbs with David Montgomery hype

As expected, Campbell didn't mince words during his press conference ahead of Detroit's Week 7 clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He acknowledged that the shares of the pie have been "a little more titled towards [Gibbs]," but wants to see that change moving forward.

"I would like to balance [Gibbs and Montgomery] out," Campbell told reporters. "I would to give David some more [chances], find a place to get him a few more."

You can't get much more straightforward than that; Campbell made his desire to ramp up Montgomery's touches crystal clear. The Lions' sideline general also noted that the team intended to do so in their 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Alas, game script got away from Detroit, which forced them to continue leaning on Gibbs -- one of the best receiving backs in football.

READ MORE: Nasty injuries to Buccaneers could give Lions defense room to breathe

"We were hoping we were going to be able do that in the second half [of the contest against the Chiefs]," Campbell stated about getting Montgomery additional opportunities. " ... the way the game went ... we get in fourth-and-10s, and that took away some of the runs and play passes and then we were in a different type of game at that point.

Expect to see Gibbs and Montgomery revert to more of a 1A-1B tandem rather than the first- and second-fiddle situation we've seen thus far in 2025. The goodwill the former has built over the past two-plus campaigns to definitively surpass the latter in the pecking order has ostensibly vanished.

Gibbs hasn't been bad thus far this season, posting above league per-carry and success rate marks, Montgomery has just been the better. Nevertheless, the margins are razor-thin when competing for a championship is the ultimate goal and expectation.