The Detroit Lions organization is familiar with running backs who gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Barry Sanders did that twice during his career.
But 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season? Only three running backs have ever done that in NFL history. No one has accomplished it for the Lions.
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If running back Jahmyr Gibbs accomplishes it in 2024, though, ESPN’s Eric Woodyard reported Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will buy Gibbs anything.
“Amon-Ra St. Brown challenged Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs to get 1,000 yards receiving and rushing in the same season and he will buy him anything he wants,” Woodyard wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Gibbs says he’s holding him to that.”
Gibbs told Woodyard that if he achieves the challenge, he’s going to “break” St. Brown’s bank, perhaps with the purchase of a house.
Earlier this week, Amon-Ra St. Brown challenged #Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs to get 1,000 yards receiving and rushing in the same season and he will buy him anything he wants. Gibbs says he's holding him to that. "I'm gonna break his bank," he told ESPN. He said he "might get a house."
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) August 2, 2024
If Gibbs registers 1,000 rushing and receiving yards, he will join an exclusive club. Only Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey have reached both 1,000-yard marks during the same season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Setting the Bar High for Jahmyr Gibbs
McCaffrey was the last running back to achieve 1,000 rushing and receiving yards during the 2019 season. He’s the only back to reach those totals this century.
So obviously, Gibbs would have to have an historic season in order to force St. Brown to pay up.
But Gibbs is one of the most exciting young running backs in the league. The 22-year-old made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and finished tops among all rookie running backs in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023.
Gibbs finished last season with 945 rushing yards and 316 receiving yards. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry, so more than likely, he’ll just need more attempts to reach 1,000 rushing yards.
But as efficient as Gibbs was on the ground, he wasn’t in the passing game, as he averaged only 6.1 yards per reception. McCaffrey averaged 8.7 yards per catch in 2019 and still needed 116 receptions to reach 1,005 receiving yards.
Craig and Faulk each averaged at least 11 yards per reception when they recorded 1,000 receiving yards with 1,000 rushing yards.
Gibbs will need to make a bigger dent with each catch if he’s going to get to 1,000 receiving yards.
NFL Office ‘A Little Queasy’ Over St. Brown’s Promise?
Gibbs’ quest for an historic 1,000-1,000 season would be exciting anyway. It will be more so because of St. Brown’s promise to buy him anything.
But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested St. Brown’s incentive to Gibbs won’t sit well with the league office. However, the Lions aren’t violating any rules.
“Some are calling it a ‘bet.’ It’s not; it’s a one-way promise,” Florio wrote. “And while such private incentives can still make the league office a little queasy (there’s a slippery slope toward bounties), it’s not a gambling policy issue because it’s not as if Gibbs loses anything if he fails.”
The last thing the Lions need is another off-the-field controversy involving star offensive players. In April 2023, the NFL suspended four Lions players for violating the league’s gambling policy.
One of those players included former first-round wide receiver Jameson Williams. He missed the first four games of last season because of his suspension.
As Florio indicated, things like this can be a slippery slope. But St. Brown’s promise is more fun than anything and could add extra drama to Detroit’s 2024 season.
