yahoo
In Allen Park, the Detroit Lions took the field for practice on Sunday, but star running back Jahmyr Gibbs was not in uniform. Instead, he observed the session from the sidelines, marking his first appearance at a training camp practice this summer.
Gibbs, who is eligible for a contract extension and appears to be holding in, declined to speak with reporters as the team headed back into the Meijer Performance Center. His presence at practice comes after wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown noted on Thursday that Gibbs was "still at all the meetings and stuff." Additionally, a photo gallery posted by the Lions on July 28 showed Gibbs arriving at camp.
Since entering the NFL in 2023, Gibbs has been one of the league's most dynamic playmakers, amassing 5,029 yards from scrimmage and scoring 49 total touchdowns.
Key Analysis
Head coach Dan Campbell addressed Gibbs's absence on Thursday, saying, "Listen, I'll just leave it at this: You guys know how I feel—how we feel—about Gibbs, and what the team feels about him, and I'll leave it at that." He added, "My job is to coach who's out there right now. And I love the kid, but man, I've got a team to coach right now. It'll get done, it's going to get done. I'm not even sweating it."
Campbell also mentioned that Gibbs was dealing with "a little bit of a back" injury, but reassured that "I don't think it's severe." The coach expressed uncertainty about whether Gibbs would return to practice without a new contract, but remained optimistic about the situation.
Originally reported by yahoo.