Jahmyr Gibbs Makes Plea for Ben Johnson to Return in 2025

Gibbs hopes for Johnson to remain with Lions despite certain head coach interest.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26). / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman had the same takeaway that many others did while watching the Detroit Lions run all over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Week 6.

As the Lions decimated the Cowboys to the tune of a 47-9 shellacking, Sherman saw a team playing with revenge on its mind. On a recent episode of his podcast, the highly respected former player posed a question surrounding that game to Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

“What y’all did to Dallas, I thought about calling the police at one point or another throughout the game," Sherman told Gibbs. "I felt like, I couldn’t figure out exactly what the crime was, but it was criminal."

To little surprise, Gibbs confirmed that the team was indeed playing with revenge on its mind. Recall, the Lions lost to the Cowboys on the road last season, in part due to an officiating controversy at the end of the game.

“Whoever thought that was right," Gibbs said. "We had to get that one back.” 

The Lions have an opportunity to gain even more vengeance later this season, as they are set to travel to Levi's Stadium and take on the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 30. The 49ers ended Detroit's charge toward a Super Bowl with a comeback victory in the NFC Championship Game, a loss that still burns at the forefront of the minds of players and fans alike.

Gibbs likened the feelings of that game to that of Detroit's recent comeback win over the Texans, which saw the team erase a 16-point deficit and shut out the hosting Houston team in the second half.

“We let that one slip, bro, we let that one slip. That was so crazy," Gibbs said. "That was like a movie, too, bro. Like no way this is happening. Second half, it was just like the Texans game, just flipped. Literally flipped.”

Gibbs is enjoying an exceptional second season with the Lions. After Detroit drafted him 12th overall last season, he fell just short of 1,000 rushing yards, and earned Pro Bowl honors in his debut season.

Now, he's well ahead of pace to surpass the 1,000-yard plateau, and ranks sixth in the NFL with 727 yards on the ground through Detroit's 8-1 start.

Plenty of credit can be placed in the hands of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is viewed as one of the league's best coordinators and will once again generate plenty of interest in head coach searches.

Johnson spurned interest this past offseason to return to the Lions, and Gibbs is hoping he chooses to do so once again following the conclusion of the current campaign.

“It’s an amazing offense to play in. Everybody gets the ball. Ben, he’s a guru, bro. I ain’t seen nothing like it. It gets crazy. He schemes up defenses so good," Gibbs said. "Everybody gets the ball, so none of us are left out. The line be getting the ball. Really special for the team that he came back. The chemistry was all there, and we knew what to expect, we knew the playbook. So, the chemistry was all there. Hope he comes back again. Man, please.”

The Lions have a chance to make history this season, as the organization has never won a Super Bowl, let alone reached one. The young running back has been a huge part of the team's success since entering the league, and has appreciated the value that the winning has had for the community and fanbase.

Now, he envisions the scene where the team can celebrate a historic moment with a passionate fanbase that has endured so many high's and low's over the franchise's lengthy history.

“It’s cool being a part of something that’s changing the community, changing the whole organization," Gibbs said. "They’re not used to this type of winning or winning in general, so being a part of this, being a part of something special means a lot to us and the city. So, we’re really doing this for the city. Once we get that parade, we know it’s gonna be jumping.”