The Detroit Lions have been close to reaching a Super Bowl in the past two seasons after appearing in the conference championship in 2023 and securing 15 victories in 2024, yet they have not managed to cross over into the year’s most significant sporting event.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders shared his view that the running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery is necessary to lead them to success.
“They are the top duo in the NFL, and there’s no reason for that to change anytime soon,” Sanders said to USA Today last week. “If there’s a Super Bowl ahead of us, especially soon, it seems those two individuals would be crucial to it.”
Gibbs led in rushing for the league’s highest-rated offense. He topped the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. He recorded 1,412 rushing yards. He received a Pro Bowl selection for the second consecutive time.
Montgomery, the experienced player, has demonstrated his potential when he is completely healthy. Last year, he achieved 775 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
“David Montgomery has been an excellent running back in the NFL for a long time, and he just enhanced that by joining the Lions after his time with the Bears,” Sanders remarked. “Then, you notice what Jahmyr Gibbs accomplished last season, especially during the past two years he’s been here, but I believe last year was his true breakout season.”
The Lions improved their offensive line by selecting Tate Ratledge in the draft. He will join Taylor Decker, Christian Mahogany, Frank Ragnow, and Penei Sewell.