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Detroit Lions’ new coordinator John Morton will add his own stamp to an explosive offense. One of those new wrinkles could be getting running back Jahmyr Gibbs the ball more in the passing game.
Last week, the star running back said during offseason practices that he’s had to learn the wide positions more than in his first two seasons. Gibbs said Morton wants him “more involved” in the passing attack.
“I gotta learn the formations for being split out,” Gibbs said via WXYT Detroit. “I’m being split out like way more than I was the past two years. That’s good. That’s going to be fun. I’ve been waiting on that.”
Since making Gibbs the No. 12 overall pick in 2023, the Lions have consistently talked about the game-breaker as more than just a runner. Using the RB as a pass-catcher who can motion out wide has been chatted about each of the past two offseasons. Through two campaigns with Ben Johnson calling plays, Gibbs caught a combined 104 passes on 134 targets for 833 yards with five receiving TDs.
Last season, Gibbs spent 568 of his 638 snaps in the backfield, per Pro Football Focus. The RB took 32 snaps from the slot and 38 out wide — both of those figures down from 2023, when he took 48 slot snaps and 46 out wide.