Jahmyr Gibbs Is Entering Barry Sanders Territory…and He’s Only 24

Jahmyr Gibbs did not merely help the Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets on Sunday. He placed himself beside some of the greatest running backs in NFL history.

The 24-year-old produced 164 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in Detroit’s 31-24 victory. He rushed 20 times for 99 yards and two scores, then added seven catches for 65 yards and the decisive touchdown.

It was the sort of performance that makes a Week 3 box score feel much bigger than one September game.

Gibbs now has 43 career rushing touchdowns. That moved him past Billy Sims for second place in Detroit Lions history, leaving only Barry Sanders ahead of him.

Yes, that Barry Sanders.

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Key Takeaways

• Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns against the Jets.
• He finished with 164 total yards in Detroit’s 31-24 victory.
• His 43 rushing touchdowns passed Billy Sims for second in Lions history.
• Only Barry Sanders has scored more rushing touchdowns for Detroit.
• Gibbs has five career games with at least three touchdowns.
• No NFL player has recorded more three-touchdown games before turning 25.
• The Lions have scored at least 30 points in all three games this season.

Gibbs Took Over When Detroit Needed Him

The Lions did not cruise through Sunday afternoon. New York kept the game close, and Detroit needed its biggest offensive threat to repeatedly provide an answer. Gibbs delivered all three of his touchdowns in the second half.

His first came on a 17-yard run that looked as though the play was heading nowhere. Gibbs changed direction, accelerated through the defense and turned a crowded section of the field into open space.

The run immediately invited comparisons to Sanders, who was watching from inside Ford Field.

Gibbs added another rushing touchdown before catching the game-winning score. By the end, he had accounted for 18 of Detroit’s 31 points.

The performance gave him 99 rushing yards, seven receptions, 65 receiving yards and three total touchdowns. For most NFL running backs, that would represent a career highlight. For Gibbs, it is becoming strangely normal.

He Has Already Passed Billy Sims

Detroit has produced three especially memorable running backs.

Billy Sims became the franchise’s first great modern star after arriving as the No. 1 overall pick in 1980. His combination of power and athleticism made him one of the NFL’s most exciting runners before a knee injury ended his career.

Barry Sanders followed and became something even greater. His sudden cuts, balance, and ability to escape defenders made him one of the most recognizable players in football history.

Now Gibbs has passed Sims in one significant category.

According to the NFL’s official Week 3 report, Gibbs’ two rushing touchdowns against New York moved him past Billy Sims for second place in Lions history with 43, leaving only Barry Sanders and his 99 ahead.

Catching Sanders would require years of health and exceptional production. Gibbs is not there yet, and comparisons to a Hall of Famer should never be made casually.

But reaching second place at only 24 is extraordinary.

His Touchdown Pace Is Almost Unprecedented

Gibbs’ most impressive numbers extend beyond Detroit.

Sunday marked the fifth time in his career that he scored at least three touchdowns in one game. That tied Jim Brown and Todd Gurley for the most such performances by any NFL player before turning 25.

Consider those names.

Brown is regularly included in discussions about the greatest football player ever. Gurley was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year at 23 and became the center of one of the league’s most productive offenses.

Gibbs has matched their three-touchdown-game total before celebrating his 25th birthday.

He has also recorded seven career games with at least 150 scrimmage yards and multiple touchdowns. Among players younger than 25, only Brown, Sanders and Walter Payton produced more.

This is no longer simply an exciting young running back accumulating impressive highlights. Gibbs is producing at a pace associated with some of the position’s defining players.

He Is More Than a Traditional Running Back

The NFL has changed dramatically since Sanders carried Detroit’s offense.

Modern running backs are expected to contribute as receivers, recognize blitzes and create favorable matchups anywhere in the formation. Gibbs is particularly dangerous because defenses cannot identify his role before the snap.

He can run between the tackles, race around the edge, or line up as a receiver. A linebacker may be strong enough to confront him in the running game but lack the speed to follow him on a passing route. A defensive back may have the speed but not the size to stop him near the goal line.

That versatility appeared throughout Sunday’s victory.

Gibbs hurt New York as a runner before delivering the decisive play as a receiver. He did not need 30 rushing attempts to control the game. Detroit repeatedly placed him where the defense was most vulnerable.

His 164 scrimmage yards mattered more than whether they were officially labeled rushing or receiving.

Barry Sanders Was Watching

There was something especially appropriate about Gibbs producing the performance with Sanders in attendance.

The two players do not have identical styles. Sanders built his legend on improvisation, using moves that often seemed impossible to anticipate. Gibbs operates within a more varied modern offense and is regularly deployed as both a runner and receiving weapon.

Yet there are moments when the connection becomes obvious.

Gibbs can change direction without losing meaningful speed. He can turn a routine play into a touchdown before defenders have adjusted to his first move. He also gives Ford Field the same sense of anticipation Sanders once created: any touch could become the play everyone remembers.

After Sunday’s victory, Gibbs acknowledged that Sanders’ presence gave him additional motivation.

He certainly performed like it.

Detroit’s Offense Has Found Its Center

The Lions have opened the NFL 2026 season by scoring at least 30 points in three consecutive games.

Quarterback Jared Goff remains central to that success, and Detroit still has dangerous receiving options. But Gibbs is the player who changes the dimensions of the offense.

A defense built to stop the run risks leaving him against a linebacker in coverage. A lighter defensive formation designed to handle his receiving ability can become vulnerable when Detroit hands him the ball.

His speed creates explosive plays. His improved strength allows him to finish shorter runs. His receiving ability ensures he rarely becomes irrelevant when Detroit falls behind the chains.

There is no simple way to remove him from a game.

The Next Number Is 99

Gibbs has a long way to go before reaching Sanders’ franchise record of 99 rushing touchdowns.

That is precisely why the number is so impressive. Sanders set a standard that still looks distant even when another player moves into second place.

However, Gibbs does not need to catch Sanders for his career to become historic. At 24, he is already producing touchdown records and joining lists populated almost entirely by Hall of Famers.

Sunday’s victory over the Jets will be recorded as one Detroit win in September.

It may eventually be remembered for something bigger: the afternoon Jahmyr Gibbs moved into second place, looked up at Barry Sanders, and made the distance between them seem slightly less impossible.