Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5). Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lions Want to Even Out Workload Between Running Backs

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By Christian Booher | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 7:02 AM ET

Through six games, the Detroit Lions have had an uneven split in carries for running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Both backs are talented enough to be the feature back, but certain circumstances have dictated a slight disparity in action between the two running backs. Notably, Gibbs carried the ball 17 times on the ground in Week 6 while Montgomery had just four carries.

Gibbs has played 230 snaps this season, or 62 percent, while Montgomery has played 143 snaps, which equates to 39 percent of the team's action. On Monday, Lions coach Dan Campbell provided some clarity as to why these snaps have been allocated the way they have.

For starters, Gibbs is in on a majority of two-minute packages which tends to lead to him getting plenty of consecutive snaps. The Lions still have been cautious as to not over-exert the young back, but he has currently been doing more of the work.

“Well, I think that’s something that I always try to look at. We certainly don’t want him – either one of them getting too much. But I know that it’s a little more tilted towards Jah right now. And a lot of that comes in the two-minute reps that we get," Campbell said. "Now the other day we only had six of them, but a lot of times that’s where that goes because he’s normally in on that and that can skew it. But I don’t feel like we’ve gotten Jah too much in a game yet necessarily. I think he like 36 or 37 snaps the other night. And so, I feel pretty good.

Moving forward, Campbell would like to generate a more even split between the two backs, as both have plenty to offer for the offense. However, each has a skill set that can be better for certain situations, which could dictate which option is utilized.

In ideal circumstances, the snap count and carry allotment would be closer to an even split. As the season rolls on, Campbell would like to see it get to that point as well.

"I would like to balance them out. I would. I would like to give David some more," Campbell said. "Find a place to get him a few more. And we were hoping we were going to be able to do that in the second half some more the other day, and it’s just kind of the way where the game went. We didn’t convert on a couple of those series. 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.”

This article first appeared on Detroit Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: