Jahmyr Gibbs Is Detroit Lions MVP, Can Make Fans Forget About Barry Sanders

No offense to the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson, but there is only one player who can lay claim to being the MVP of the Detroit Lions’ roster today. And that player is superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

There's no way the Lions would presently be 2-1 without Gibbs, who has cemented his status as one of the game's most prolific offensive weapons.

Unsurprisingly, the do-it-all, fourth-year back is off to a torrid start to the 2026 campaign, too. Through the season's first three games, the 24-year-old has amassed 307 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Plus, he's added another 156 yards and two scores as a pass-catcher.

Additionally, Gibbs put together a mesmerizing performance in Week 3 against the Jets, a contest which you can argue he single-handedly won for Dan Campbell's squad.

He recorded a handful of electric, how'd-you-do-that plays, including at the beginning of the third quarter when he extended the Lions’ lead to 17-7. He took a halfback toss from signal-caller Jared Goff that had him moving to the right of the line of scrimmage and then cut it back to the left side as multiple Jets defenders emerged. He then proceeded to outrun everyone to the end zone on the electrifying, Barry Sanders-esque play.

Jahmyr Gibbs with a Barry Sanders-esque TDpic.twitter.com/QbPYgc0RMk
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 27, 2026

It was the first of three scores for Gibbs in the Week 3 tilt against Aaron Glenn's team. And his last TD of the game, which came on an 11-yard reception with 2:25 to play, ended up being the game-winner for Detroit.

With Gibbs' ceiling being so high, there are years he can produce at an elite level, with the possibility of making fans eventually forget about Sanders, if the team wins a Super Bowl and several Lions rushing records fall by the wayside.

Gibbs finished the interconference contest with an uber impressive stat line: 20 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns, with another 65 yards and an additional score as a receiver.

And with the performance, he's now the first player in NFL history to have produced at least 300 rushing yards, four rushing TDs, 150 receiving yards and two receiving TDs through the first three games in a season.

Along with that, he's currently on pace to compile 1,740 rushing yards, 22.7 rushing TDs, 102 receptions, 884 receiving yards, and 11 receiving scores. It'd be a season unlike any other in NFL history.

Undoubtedly, Gibbs is a star among stars, and he's arguably the most exciting player in the game today. Whenever he touches the ball (whether as a runner or a receiver), there's a chance of a big, highlight play.

He can make something out of nothing with the best of them. And he definitely possesses a flare that harkens back to the days of Sanders donning the Honolulu Blue and eluding defenders on a regular basis.

There's no shortage of fans and pundits today that compare Gibbs’ game to that of the Pro Football Hall of Famer, either. Each jaw-dropping run from Gibbs elicits comparisons, something the fourth-year back has certainly grown worthy of as he's progressed in his career.

In fact, if he sustains the productivity Sanders had (and for a significant enough period of time), he could very well top the majority, if not all, of the Lions legend's staggering numbers one day.

“Every time he's here, I've got to step up my game and shine a little bit," Gibbs said of Sanders after the Week 3 victory. "So to be in the same conversations as him is just humbling. I mean, I'm blessed to be in it. (He's) somebody I've looked up to for a long time.”

Through the first three weeks of the 2026 season, Gibbs has not just been one of the game's best backs. He’s also been one of the league's very best players.

And while Goff may be the straw that stirs the drink in Motown, there's no player who has delivered more consequential performances for Detroit thus far this season than Gibbs. And if he keeps helping the Lions rack up wins, he won't just be the team's most valuable player, he'll become a bonafide candidate for the league's MVP award (and rightfully so).

Gibbs is more than just a shiny toy in Drew Petzing's offense. He's proven, time and time again, he's one of the best all-around players in the NFL today.

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