After the blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Detroit Lions now have the best offense in the NFL. They have yet to score fewer than 26 points in a game this season, showcasing their high-octane offense. If the Lions are going to go far this season, it will be thanks to their elite firepower.
Of course, Jared Goff is already making an MVP case through five weeks, but the Lions offense is built around star running back Jahmyr Gibbs. After another extremely productive night, running for 151 yards and two touchdowns and adding 56 receiving yards, Gibbs has a solid argument to be the Offensive Player of the Year.
But Gibbs is aiming even higher. During the live broadcast, it was revealed that Gibbs is hoping to break LaDainian Tomlinson's NFL single-season touchdown record of 31.
Jahmyr Gibbs is hoping to make NFL history by beating LaDainian Tomlinson's record
When asked about it by Brad Galli after the game, Gibbs confirmed this goal and said, "Oh yeah, for sure. I'm trying to get that."
This is certainly a lofty goal. Tomlinson had 31 touchdowns in 16 games back in 2006, and nobody has come particularly close since then. The most TDs in a season since then was Randy Moss in 2007, who had 23 touchdowns. In terms of running backs, Todd Gurley, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, and Raheem Mostert, who all scored 21 TDs, have been the closest.
That's obviously nowhere near LT's record. The bar Tomlinson set is a ridiculous one, fueled by 28 rushing touchdowns. But Gibbs is as on pace as anyone can realistically be.
With nine touchdowns in five games, Gibbs is on pace for 31 touchdowns. He obviously benefits from an additional game compared to Tomlinson, but he is also much more involved in the passing game than LT was twenty years ago. This will be the biggest factor in his pursuit of the near-impossible.
The Chargers legend had 31 touchdowns on 404 touches from the scrimmage. Gibbs is currently on pace for 449 touches for the season. The most touches he has had in a season in his career was 320 last season, so whether he can keep up this pace remains to be seen.
Gibbs had 20 touchdowns in 2024. He is currently on track to demolish that number, barring any unfortunate injuries. This alone will make Gibbs' 2026 campaign an all-time season, but the closer he gets to LT's number, the legend of Gibbs will grow exponentially.
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