Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs ready to take on more of the load

Dan Campbell: He’s our bell cow now

ALLEN PARK — In Jahmyr Gibbs’ first three seasons with the Detroit Lions he was paired with veteran running back David Montgomery. Coach Dan Campbell called them the two-headed monster. They were close on and off the field. 

Since the Lions traded Montgomery to the Houston Texans in March, Gibbs is now THE guy.

“He’s going to be our bell cow now. He really became more of that last year, but we’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit. We’re going to do a lot of things we feel he does well,’’ Campbell said on Thursday prior to the Lions offseason workout. 

Gibbs is good with the change, he’s used to carrying a load just like he did at Alabama before he was the Lions’ first-round pick in 2023.

“Growing up I’ve always been the person that’s always had the most carries,’’ Gibs said. “I’m not looking at it any different than any other year.’’

He said his preparation for the season will remain the same with consistency as the key. 

Last season Gibbs started all 17 games and finished with 13 rushing and 5 receiving touchdowns. He carried the ball 243 times for 1,223 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He also had 77 receptions for 616 yards.

Expect to possibly see him running more routes come September.

“I’ve mentioned this before he can run everything we’ve got, he can run every scheme that anybody has ever run,’’ Campbell said. “He’s not just an outside runner, he’s not just a space runner, he can create his own space in the middle. Some of his biggest runs have been gap schemes right down the pike where he’s had patience and found it and guys blocked it up.’’

One other change for Gibbs is new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing who replaced John Morton who was let go. Campbell called the offense on game days to end last season.

“He’s really smart, he’s really strategic,’’ Gibbs said of Petzing. “He demands a lot of his players but he knows we can do it so that’s what he puts on us. It’s going to be fun.’’

The running back room has added new faces including veteran Isiah Pacheco who spent the last four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He’s got a lot of juice, he’s very energetic, he’s a fun person to be around, he plays really hard,’’ Gibbs said of Pacheco. “He wants to do anything for the team that Dan tells him to do.’’

NOTES: Campbell announced that rookie WR Kendrick Law, a fifth-round pick, tore his ACL in practice on Tuesday and will be out for the season. The Lions added WR Kyre Duplessis to the roster.

Detroit Lions 2026 schedule released; includes 4 prime-time games

Showcase games are for the NFL contenders so count the Detroit Lions in once again. In the 2026 schedule, which was released Thursday night, the Lions will play in at least four prime-time games — one at home and three on the road. That number could climb to five, but the day and time for the Week 18 game at Green Bay has not been set. 

The Lions open at home against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Sept. 13. Connections can be found on both sides. Lions coach Dan Campbell spent five seasons as assistant head coach/tight ends coach with the Saints. New Orleans head coach Kellen Moore was with the Lions as Mathew Stafford’s backup from 2012 to 2014.

Detroit won’t have much time to prepare for Week 2 which is a Thursday night game at the Buffalo Bills. The other prime-time games are: Oct. 4 at the Arizona Cardinals, Dec. 20 at the Minnesota Vikings and Monday, Dec. 28 hosting the N.Y. Giants. 

As previously announced, the Lions will play the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany, on Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m.

The bye week in Week 6  isn’t ideal coming in the first third of an 18-game season. Neither is scheduling Week 2 on a Thursday night. Also, teams that play in Europe often get the next week as a bye but that won’t happen for the Lions. They’ll be home to the Tampa Bay Bucs on Nov. 22. 

Here is the complete schedule:

WEEKDATEOPPONENTTIMETV
1Sunday, September 13vs. New Orleans Saints1:00 p.m.FOX
2Thursday, September 17at Buffalo Bills8:15 p.m.PRIME
3Sunday, September 27vs. New York Jets1:00 p.m.FOX
4Sunday, October 4at Carolina Panthers8:20 p.m.NBC
5Sunday, October 11at Arizona Cardinals4:25 p.m.FOX
6BYE WEEK
7Sunday, October 25vs. Green Bay Packers4:25 p.m.FOX
8Sunday, November 1vs. Minnesota Vikings1:00 p.m.FOX
9Sunday, November 8at Miami Dolphins1:00 p.m.FOX
10Sunday, November 15vs. New England Patriots (Munich)9:30 a.m.FOX
11Sunday, November 22vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers1:00 p.m.CBS
12Thursday, November 26vs. Chicago Bears1:00 p.m.CBS
13Sunday, December 6at Atlanta Falcons1:00 p.m.CBS
14Sunday, December 13vs. Tennessee Titans1:00 p.m.FOX
15Sunday, December 20at Minnesota Vikings8:20 p.m.NBC
16Monday, December 28vs. New York Giants8:15 p.m.ESPN
17Sunday, January 3at Chicago Bears4:25 p.m.FOX
18TBDat Green Bay PackersTBDTBD

Lions add pair of defensive tackles in final 2 rounds of draft

ALLEN PARK — The Lions wrapped up the 2026 NFL draft by selecting a pair of defensive tackles — Skyler Gill-Howard in the sixth round (205th) and Tyre West in the seventh (222nd) on Saturday.

GM Brad Holmes said he likes their ability to apply pressure as sub-rushers.

Gill-Howard, 6-8 and 280 pounds, played at Texas Tech his senior year after starting collegiate career at Northern Illinois. In 2025 he started the first six games (13 tackles, 2.5 TFLs with 0.5 sacks, INT-returned for TD, PBU) and then missed the second half of the year with an ankle injury. In his junior year at Northern Illinois he played in a dozen games with one start.

He has only played on the defensive line since 2022.

“I feel like I’m a great player with no ceiling, meaning that I can improve each and every year in whatever aspect I need to. I feel I can go out and make an impact immediately or do what the team needs me to do, it doesn’t matter. There’s still a long way to go.’’

The Lions hat he was wearing during a Zoom call came from his grandfather who is a big Lions fan and was wearing it at the draft party. It was the only hate in the room. “It was meant to be,’’ Gill-Howard said.

“Gill-Howard is a relentless defensive lineman who has climbed from the Division II level to a starting role in the Big 12,’’ per CBS Sports analysis. “Despite being undersized for the interior, he plays with incredible energy and leverages his wrestling background to overpower larger blockers.’’

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said: “He needs to major in disruption and chaos to find a long-term home as a rotational, upfield tackle.’’

In the seventh round, the Lions drafted Tyre West, who started just five games in four seasons at Tennessee.

Zierlein wrote: “West’s snap and start counts are unusually low for a draftable prospect. He has the bone thickness of an interior defender, but a chunk of his collegiate reps came at 5-technique and even-front defensive end. He’s a solid athlete with good quickness but below-average hand usage. He appears capable of sinking and anchoring but will be tested against interior double teams on the next level. West’s ability to pressure the pocket could earn him an opportunity at the next level.’’