The Detroit Lions dealt with a scare midway through training camp when a trio of players left a practice leading up to Week 2 of the preseason early.
One of those players was Jahmyr Gibbs, who was ultimately diagnosed with a hamstring injury. Because of the soft-tissue nature of the injury, paired with the fact that he had missed time already in the spring during organized team activities, there was concern among the fan base about his availability for Week 1.
On Tuesday, just days before the Lions will kick off the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams in primetime, Gibbs assured reporters that he expects to play in Sunday's game and that he feels near 100 percent healthy.
"I'm good, just had a little tweak," Gibbs said Tuesday, via ESPN.
Gibbs is expected to once again be a big part of the offense after a breakout rookie campaign in 2023. He just missed rushing for 1,000 yards, finishing with 945, and scored 10 touchdowns as part of a rookie class that was historically good for the Lions last year.
The Alabama product is also expected to potentially take on more of a role as a receiver in his sophomore campaign. This is an element of his game that the staff was enamored with when they elected to draft him, and they have spent time throughout the offseason working with him to help sharpen his skill set in this aspect of his game.
Notes
Lions' sixth-round draft pick Christian Mahogany has recently returned to the team facility and remains on the non-football illness list. While he will be required to miss the first four weeks of the season, he's currently working with the training staff to return to playing shape.
Mahogany revealed that he was suffering from mono during his absence, which spanned nearly the entire duration of training camp, via Detroit Football Network.
