Jahmyr Gibbs has established himself as one of the most explosive players in the league. With the running back set for a contract extension, he is expected to become one of the highest-paid at his position. However, one NFL analyst does not believe that the Lions should do so.

“I’m not paying a running back. I’m not paying this guy $22 million a year. Not doing it,” said NFL analyst Mike Valenti on the Valenti show with Rico. “I view running backs like toothpaste...And I'm not one of these people. You get to the very last end, and it's like a 10-minute operation to get another toothbrush out of it. No, I'm throwing it in the garbage. I use a running back for six years, and I throw him in the garbage.”

The Lions have a history of extending their young stars well in advance, and that just might happen with Gibbs, whose contract expires at the end of the 2027 season.

Valenti, who made these comments on the Valenti Show with Rico, explained how, considering the time the Lions have Gibbs under contract, he would rather not resign him.

“You want to keep him, keep him. I don’t care. Do whatever you want,” said Valenti. “I’d use them up like we got you now, we got you next year. And guess what? I’ll franchise your a**. I don't care.”

While it is well known that the impact of running backs decreases as they gain more experience due to the intensity with which they have to play, Gibbs has shown himself to be a generational talent.

In three years, he has scored a total of 49 touchdowns, the most in NFL history for anybody under the age of 24, breaking Lions legend Barry Sanders’ record of 47.

He has impressed so much in these three years that one NFL analyst believes Gibbs could be in Offensive Player of the Year conversations next year.

NFL analyst believes Jahmyr Gibbs could be in OPOY discussions next season

Through his first three seasons with the Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs has gradually been given more touches due to the team also utilizing David Montgomery.

However, that is not the case now, and Gibbs will be expected to lead the backfield and carry a much bigger scoring load next season. This has prompted Kevin Patra of the NFL Network to believe that Gibbs could be on course for a historic season.

“Gibbs' combination of shiftiness, speed and ability to make hay between and outside the tackles makes him a dynamic threat,” wrote Patra. “The Lions want to ensure that threat stays on the field as much as possible. He profiles for a Christian McCaffrey-type workload and should be in the Offensive Player of the Year discussion by the end of the season.”

Last season, San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey attempted 311 rushes while Gibbs attempted only 243. However, while McCaffrey rushed for 1,202 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, Gibbs recorded 1,223 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

Gibbs also had a career-best 616 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season, showcasing his ability to be an effective receiving option as well.

With an improved offensive line and even more touches for Gibbs while also having one of the easiest schedules in the league, there is every possibility of Gibbs winning the OPOY and maybe even breaking Barry Sanders’ franchise record for single-season rushing of 2,053 yards, as per RotoBaller analyst Quincy Milton III.

Do you think Gibbs can win the Offensive Player of the Year award? Let us know your expectations in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore