The Lions are setting Jahmyr Gibbs up to be the focal point, and they’re not being shy about it.
After sending David Montgomery to Houston this offseason, Detroit cleared the runway for Gibbs to take on a much bigger load. RBs coach Tashard Choice said Gibbs went into the offseason with a specific message from the staff: get out faster and hit the ground running from the start of the year.
That preparation included some MMA training in California with Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Choice said Gibbs has returned looking like the best version of himself so far in his pro career.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell backed that up with an even blunter assessment.
“I mean he is, he’s going to be our bell cow now,” Campbell said. “He really became more of that last year, but we’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit. We’re going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well.”
In Green Bay, Daniel Whelan is heading into his fourth season as the Packers’ starting punter, and teammates say his standards are sky-high. Long snapper Matt Orzech described a guy who gets annoyed if every kick isn’t exactly the way he wants it.
“He’s mad that he’s not hitting the biggest ball ever,” Orzech said, via Mike Spofford of the team’s site. “It’s like, ‘It’s windy, and freezing, so it might not get the 5.0’s all day’.”
Whelan’s path to that job wasn’t exactly smooth. He entered the league in 2022 as an undrafted free agent with the Saints, got cut in training camp, then spent time with the DC Defenders of the XFL in 2023 before landing with the Packers during their offseason program. Whelan said the climb has been all about persistence.
“I always said I could,” Whelan said. “I’ve worked really hard to get where I’m at.
It’s not just dumb luck. I’ve been as low as you can get in life, and I just kept going.”
Now he’s coming off a career-best average of 51.7 yards per punt in 2025, but Whelan says the bigger challenge is repeating it.
“I mean, it was all fun, but it’s all last year’s news,” Whelan said. “The hard part is going to be doing it over and over and over.”
In Minnesota, third-round pick Jakobe Thomas is already making a strong impression, and the Vikings may need him sooner rather than later with Harrison Smith’s future uncertain. Safety Josh Metellus said Thomas has been picking up the defense quickly and showing a natural feel for the game through the first practices.
“You talk about a guy who’s only been here a couple weeks, he knows the system like the back of his hand already,” Metellus said, via the team’s website. “It’s more about the little things, the ins and outs of why we do things that he has to get a grasp on, and that’s when it comes to reps. But in terms of just natural football, I.Q., things come very easy to him.
“This defense is a lot, so we’re throwing a lot at him, but he’s been handling it very well.”
Metellus also praised the way Thomas has attacked the offseason, saying the rookie has shown the kind of commitment teams want to see right away.
“You appreciate that. Especially a young guy, to come in and already be talking about his journey and his path and where he wants to be. He wants to put on a [Hall of Fame] Gold Jacket like we all do, and you can feel that in the way he works and goes about things.
“You can see it, too. It’s not just talk.
He’s in here late meeting with the coaches, meeting with [Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores], trying to get caught up to speed. So it’s definitely been great.”
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