Jahmyr Gibbs #26 of the Detroit Lions scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions are looking to bounce back next season.
The NFL's best team during the 2024 regular season unexpectedly bowed out early on in the playoffs at the hands of the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. While that was disappointing, the Lions and their young roster are still built to win in the ensuing years.
“I'm good off the individual stuff — I'm trying to win a Super Bowl,” said Jahmyr Gibbs in a one-on-one interview with RG on behalf of Bounty when asked what his objectives are entering next season.
In defense of the Lions, they suffered through a myriad of injuries that decimated and depleted their roster by season's end. Their top defensive player, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, was leading the league in sacks (7.5) before suffering a season-ending injury in the fifth game of the season.
The Lions lost three players to season-ending injury — Carlton Davis, Alim McNeill and Khalil Dorsey — during their Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Prior to that game, they already had 10 players from their defensive unit on injured reserve.
Although running back David Montgomery returned for the team's playoff game against the Commanders — he posted seven carries for 28 rushing yards — he had been sidelined for the last three regular season games after suffering an MCL injury against the Bills.
“It was definitely unfortunate for me,” said Montgomery.
“I don't like not playing, because I want to feel like I'm helping. You see your homies going crazy, you want to go crazy, you want to be a part of the celebration, you want to be a part of the fun, helping score touchdowns.”
Prior to his injury, Montgomery had posted 775 rushing yards on a team-leading 12 touchdowns in 14 games. The Lions managed to win their three games without Montgomery as Pro Bowl back Gibbs helped keep the rushing attack float, but there's little doubt that Detroit's offense is much more effective when “Sonic and Knuckles” are both in the lineup.
The Lions running back duo — widely regarded as the best in the NFL — remain confident that the team can bounce back in a major way next season. The duo accounted for 2,187 rushing yards together, the second-highest total in the NFL, only behind the Philadelphia Eagles (2,295). While the Lions have the definition of a balanced rushing attack, teams like the Eagles relied on one back in Saquon Barkley, who ran for 2,005 yards this season.
Montgomery said coach Dan Campbell gave the Lions strong words after the loss, saying you better come back next season “piss hot.”
“He definitely was just like, 'You better come back piss hot,'” said Montgomery.
“I make sure of myself that I take as it was. It's a phrase [piss hot] we use in football. Like you better commemorate it.”
Gibbs details why the Lions play so hard for Campbell, a former veteran tight end who played 11 seasons in the NFL.
“Just his energy,” said Gibbs of Campbell. “There's a lot of energy as a team and he's a former player. It's easier for someone who's been there before. He's the same person on and off the field.”
Montgomery explains why Campbell is such a “leader of men” and why he has the respect of his locker room.
“His care for the player,” said Montgomery. “You go to a lot of places and these coaches don't really care. They care about the number more than who you are. Dan really cares. He shows his emotions, he wears it on his sleeve.
“When you see somebody who is a leader of men who's able to get in front of the crowd and be emotional and cry, it shows me as a man I can be more emotional,” Montgomery continued to say. “Just having Dan be as humanized as he is, being a human as someone who cares about us.”
Considering the Lions had the second-most (seven) Pro Bowlers of any NFL team despite all of their injuries, they should be back in the Super Bowl hunt next season.
DJ Siddiqi is a sports reporter who focuses on football, basketball and pro wrestling. He has covered some of the biggest sporting events, including the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and often interviews high-profile athletes on a weekly basis. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo. His previous experience includes working as a lead NBA writer at CBS Sports and 247 Sports in addition to working as a beat reporter covering the NFL and the Denver Broncos at Bleacher Report. Follow Siddiqi for exclusive one-on-one interviews and analysis on key topics in sports
