NFL analyst takes a moment to fully acknowledge his bad Jahmyr Gibbs draft opinion face-to-face.
Gregg Rosenthal wasn’t the only one with a poor Jahmyr Gibbs take, but this week he took a unique opportunity to own it.
Jahmyr Gibbs was generally considered the second-best running back in the 2023 NFL Draft, following Bijan Robinson. There had been rumors that some teams preferred Gibbs over Robinson, but the Alabama product was still viewed as a borderline first-round pick.
When the Detroit Lions selected Gibbs at No. 12 overall, the backlash came swiftly from all directions. Some criticism came from those who questioned the “positional value,” while others pointed to the signing of David Montgomery in free agency or the fact that D’Andre Swift was still on the roster. Drafting Gibbs also took away any leverage the Lions may have had in trade discussions regarding Swift.
Months after the Lions picked Gibbs, some opinions aged poorly, especially after he earned two Pro Bowl selections and double-digit rushing touchdowns in both seasons.
Some believed the shift from Swift and Jamaal Williams to Montgomery and Gibbs didn’t matter, or that Montgomery was a downgrade from Williams.
It’s easy to be proven wrong in hindsight, and anyone who covers sports long enough will experience that. However, it’s rare to have the chance to admit a bad take in front of the very person it was about.
Montgomery and Gibbs were in New Orleans this week for a promotional event with Bounty. On “NFL Daily” with Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Rosenthal took responsibility for a tweet he sent out after the Lions drafted Gibbs.
“You guys are the subject of the worst tweet I ever had,” Rosenthal admitted, explaining that he wanted to apologize. “And Lions fans have never let me forget it…”
That tweet, from April 29, 2023, has lived on in infamy, with screenshots ensuring it’s never forgotten. Rosenthal never deleted the tweet and explained how he apologized in person after speaking with Gibbs and Montgomery.
Montgomery actually told Rosenthal that he needed to “eat that for a lot longer,” after Rosenthal “pleaded” for them to let Lions fans stop criticizing him. Gibbs jokingly said, “that should stay on ya,” and teased Rosenthal, asking if he was “standing on it” since he hadn’t deleted the tweet.
Bad sports opinions often live on without the person who made them having to face it directly. The NFL’s “Radio Row” during Super Bowl week gave Rosenthal a rare chance to own up to his poor take about Gibbs (and Montgomery). While it was a good moment for him, it also seemed that the Lions’ running back duo enjoyed having some fun with Rosenthal about it.