Just two days after Bijan Robinson became the highest-paid running back in NFL history, the Detroit Lions and Jahmyr Gibbs have agreed upon an extension that will one-up the three-year, $66.75 million deal Robinson got. The initial terms of the extension are a three-year $67.5 million deal that could be worth up to $75.75 million, including $51.5 million in guarantees. Be aware that initial numbers are often inflated. Regardless, this contract now makes Gibbs the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
As for Gibbs, he has already become an essential part of this offense. In his three seasons thus far, he’s averaged 1,745 scrimmage yards per season, scored a total of 49 touchdowns, and averaged a whopping 5.3 yards per carry. Since entering the league in 2023, here’s where Gibbs ranks among his peers (min. 200 carries):
It’s worth noting that Gibbs accomplished all of this while splitting the load with David Montgomery. But with Montgomery now with the Texans, the plan is to increase Gibbs’ workload, because they feel there’s nothing he can’t do.
“He’s going to be our bell cow now,” coach Dan Campbell said in June. “He really became more of that last year, but we’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit. We’re going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well.
“Now, I’ve mentioned this before. He can run everything that we’ve got. He can run every scheme that anybody’s ever run. He’s not just an outside runner. He is not just a space runner. He can create his own space in the middle. And some of his biggest runs have been gap scheme right down the pipe, where he’s had patience, and found it, and guys blocked it up well. So, we’re going to ask a lot of him.”
With Gibbs and Jack Campbell both now locked up, the attention shifts to two other players from that 2023 draft class: tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch. Lions general manager Brad Holmes has already publicly expressed an interest in giving both players new contracts, although Dan Campbell did say that they may need to see Branch’s recovery from his torn Achilles before they opt to extend him.
“I think you always want to know that your guys are healthy and this is truly healed,” Campbell said. “You are always going to kind of want to lean that way knowing the investment that would go into that.”
