He wasn’t the only person with a poor Jahmyr Gibbs draft opinion, but Gregg Rosenthal seized a special chance to admit it this week.
Jahmyr Gibbs was generally considered the second-best running back in the 2023 NFL Draft, following Bijan Robinson. There was some chatter suggesting that certain teams preferred Gibbs over Robinson, but the Alabama player was still seen as a borderline first-round candidate.
Thus, when the Detroit Lions selected Gibbs at No. 12 overall, the backlash followed swiftly and from all directions. Part of it came from the “positional value” advocates, while others mentioned David Montgomery’s signing in free agency and/or the presence of D’Andre Swift on the roster. By drafting Gibbs, the Lions lost any leverage they may have had in trade discussions regarding Swift.
Even months after the Lions selected Gibbs, opinions have aged extremely poorly as he has achieved two Pro Bowl selections in consecutive seasons with double-digit rushing touchdowns in each year.
Some individuals believed that the switch from Swift and Jamaal Williams to Montgomery and Gibbs was unimportant, or that Montgomery represented a downgrade from Williams.
It’s simple to be proven incorrect with the advantage of hindsight, and if you report on sports for a while (or even briefly) you will occasionally be wrong. However, it’s uncommon to have a chance to own a poor opinion in front of the individual you had that opinion about.
NFL analyst admits to poor Jahmyr Gibbs assessment, face-to-face.
This week in New Orleans, Montgomery and Gibbs participated in the promotional circuit together for Bounty. On “NFL Daily” featuring Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue from The Athletic, Rosenthal admitted fault for a poor tweet following the Lions’ selection of Gibbs.
“You all are the focus of the worst tweet I’ve ever received,” Rosenthal stated, after expressing his desire to apologize. “And fans of the Lions have always reminded me about it…”
Here is the problematic tweet, dated April 29, 2023.
The gap between David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs and Jamaal Williams/D’Andre Swift is minimal.
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) April 29, 2023
Any available screenshots would ensure it remains infamous forever, yet Rosenthal has never removed the tweet. After speaking with Gibbs and Montgomery, he remarked that he apologized face-to-face.
It was indeed Montgomery who told Rosenthal that he needed to “sustain that for a much longer time,” after he “begged” for them to have Lions fans leave him alone. Gibbs remarked, “that should remain with you,” and teased that Rosenthal must be “standing on it” if he’s not removed the tweet.
Poor sports opinions often exist without the person who expressed them facing any accountability in-person. The NFL event known as “Radio Row” during Super Bowl week provided Rosenthal with a rare chance to acknowledge his poor judgment regarding Gibbs (and Montgomery). That’s great for him, but it appears the Lions’ running back pair enjoyed their chance to playfully tease Rosenthal about it.