Lions HC Dan Campbell issues Jahmyr Gibbs warning for rest of NFL

While the Detroit Lions are coming off a disappointing season that they ended with a record of 9-8, running back Jahmyr Gibbs cemented his status as one of the NFL's most dynamic playmakers. 

Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently offered a bit of a warning to the rest of the NFL regarding what Gibbs may be able to accomplish under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who previously held that role with the Arizona Cardinals.

Dan Campbell: Jahmyr Gibbs is more "a difference-maker" than just a running back 

"Gibbs, we didn’t view Gibbs as a runner. He was a weapon," Campbell explained, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "We felt like Gibbs, this guy is gonna explode. Yes, he’s a runner, he can run all schemes, he can run inside, outside, the perimeters, but he also can be lethal out of the backfield, and we’re not even there yet. We feel like this guy can play some receiver. He’s dynamic, and he’s a difference-maker. They don’t come around often."

ESPN stats show that Gibbs ended the 2025 season ranked second on the Lions with 77 receptions, third with 94 targets, third with 616 receiving yards and fourth with five receiving touchdowns. According to StatMuse, he was fifth in the NFL with 1,839 total yards from scrimmage and second with 18 scrimmage scores. 

Having Gibbs on the roster allowed the Lions to send running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder this past March. 

Dan Campbell responds to Jahmyr Gibbs draft takes

Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Jeremiyah Love has unintentionally reignited conversations about whether or not teams should spend high-value draft picks on running backs. Back in the spring of 2023, Campbell and Co. received some criticism for making Gibbs the draft's 12th overall choice.

"We’d have taken him earlier," Campbell recently said about Gibbs. "We would have taken him earlier." 

As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Gibbs as the betting favorite at +700 odds to win the Offensive Player of the Year Award for the 2026 season.