Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said on Saturday the Lions might use first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs “in some ways that people don’t think we might” when the team kicks off the 2023 NFL season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.

Whatever exotic plays that Johnson has drawn up for Gibbs, there’s probably going to be a conventional handoff somewhere in there during the former Alabama ball-carrier’s NFL debut.

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When that happens, Gibbs will extend a Crimson Tide streak that stretches back 16 years.

When Gibbs gets his chance in the Lions backfield, it will mean the most recent conference or postseason game for Alabama started by an eligible running back who did not go on to carry the football in an NFL regular-season game occurred on Nov. 17, 2007. That day, Terry Grant served as the Tide’s starting running back in a 17-12 loss to Mississippi State.

Since then, the only Alabama games started by running backs who have not had a rushing attempt in the NFL are two nonconference contests and the games started by Gibbs and current Crimson Tide ball-carrier Jase McClellan.

The week after the Mississippi State game, Grant started again against Louisiana-Monroe. On Sept. 12, 2009, Roy Upchurch started at running back against Florida International.

Gibbs started 11 games last season.

McClellan made his first start against Southern Miss on Sept. 25, 2021. He also started against Tennessee and Austin Peay last season and Saturday’s 2023 season-opening game against Middle Tennessee.

Since Grant’s start in Louisiana-Monroe’s 21-14 upset of Alabama in 2007, the Tide’s starting running backs also have been Damien Harris for 40 games, Najee Harris for 25, T.J. Yeldon for 21, Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson for 19 apiece, Derrick Henry for 17, Glen Coffee for 15, Eddie Lacy and Brian Robinson Jr. for 14 each, Gibbs for 11, Kenyan Drake for six, Josh Jacobs for three, Bo Scarbrough for two and Jerome Ford and Jalston Fowler for one apiece.

All those players except Gibbs have recorded rushing attempts in the NFL:

· Henry has 8,335 yards and 78 touchdowns on 1,750 carries entering the 2023 season with the Tennessee Titans.

· Ingram had 8,111 yards and 65 touchdowns on 1,817 carries.

· Jacobs has 4,740 yards and 40 touchdowns on 1,072 carries entering the 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

· Drake had 3,866 yards and 33 touchdowns on 867 carries.

· Lacy had 3,614 yards and 23 touchdowns on 857 carries.

· Najee Harris has 2,234 yards and 14 touchdowns on 579 carries entering the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

· Damien Harris has 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns on 449 carries entering the 2023 season with the Buffalo Bills.

· Richardson had 2,032 yards and 17 touchdowns on 614 carries.

· Yeldon had 2,005 yards and six touchdowns on 492 carries.

· Robinson has 797 yards and two touchdowns on 205 carries entering the 2023 season with the Washington Commanders.

· Scarbrough had 408 yards and one touchdown on 95 carries.

· Coffee had 226 yards and one touchdown on 83 carries.

· Fowler, who was a fullback in the NFL, had 20 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

· Ford, who transferred to Cincinnati after two seasons at Alabama, has 12 yards on eight carries entering the 2023 season with the Cleveland Browns.

Gibbs joined Detroit as the 12th selection in the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27 after running for 926 yards and seven touchdowns on 151 carries and catching 44 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns.

Gibbs is expected to work with four-year veteran David Montgomery as the Lions’ running backs.

“They are complementary backs,” Johnson said. “What Five does well, Gibbs might not do as well and vice versa, but I think they are both very versatile. …

“I’m really excited to see what they can do out on the field here this week. But we’re going to use them all over the place.”

The Lions and Chiefs will square off at 7:20 p.m. CDT Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. NBC will televise the game.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.