Year 4 for Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs will be different.
He's set to take on Detroit's bell-cow role in his first season without running mate David Montgomery, but he's also been prepping in new ways ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Gibbs started incorporating mixed martial arts into his offseason training in March, per , helping to change his body for the better.
"It helps with body control. Your base and all that and faster hands," Gibbs told Woodyard. "I would say with blocking, I get my hands up before they hit me."
"I feel like my body's gotten in better shape, like physically it looks better. And conditioning-wise, that conditioning is way different from here because you use nonstop movement in every muscle of your body. Out here [in football], you get more breaks and [there is] much more using your legs. But there [in MMA], it's just constant shoulders, knees, elbows, you go to the ground and all that so out here I barely get tired."
Though it's not directly tied to taking on a larger role, Gibbs choosing to use MMA as an extra element of preparation could pay dividends.
Montgomery took more of a back seat last season, but his trade to the Texans still vacated 182 touches. Gibbs already logged a career-high 320 touches in 2025, and it's easy to imagine him taking on even more usage sharing a backfield with free-agent addition Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki.
Gibbs, a three-time Pro Bowler, has enjoyed a prolific start to his NFL career. He's rushed for 3,580 yards on 5.3 yards per carry and collected 181 receptions for 1,449 receiving yards, with a record 49 scrimmage TDs through his first three seasons.
Only 25, he's still finding news ways to perfect his approach, ready to take the fight to the league as the Lions look to rebound from a frustrating 2025 season.
