Head coach Jim Caldwell inferred Abdullah will not be used as a bell-cow running back in 2016, per MLive.com. "Do I think that he's durable enough to do it? Absolutely. Do I think he's strong enough to do it? Absolutely. I just don't think that's his cup of tea," Caldwell explained. "But he'll be effective for us. His all-purpose yardage last year was pretty strong and I think you'll see the same thing with him this year."
After being taken in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Abdullah ultimately wrestled the Lions' primary tailback job away from Joique Bell and finished his rookie season with a team-high 597 rushing yards. However, even with Theo Riddick locked into a passing-down role, Abdullah was expected to assume a larger workload on the ground in 2016. Instead, it appears Caldwell plans to deploy a "running back by committee" approach with Zach Zenner used in short-yardage situations and rookie Dwayne Washington sporadically sprinkled in. Abdullah should easily receive the most carries by season's end, and will also see action returning kickoffs, but his candidacy as a breakout workhorse appears contingent upon injuries to other members of Detroit's backfield at this point in time.