The biggest Lions story in camp right now isn’t who’s practicing. It’s Jahmyr Gibbs, and he still isn’t out there.
Detroit is working through training camp, but Gibbs has yet to take the field. With one year left on his contract, the expectation is that he won’t suit up until he has a new deal in place. He has been around the team, though, and on Monday he finally offered a few brief answers as he left the field.
Asked when he’d return, Gibbs kept it short: “only time will tell.”
When a reporter followed up about whether he needs a new deal before getting back on the field, Gibbs replied, “It’s not about that.” He didn’t expand on it. And when pressed on what he is working toward, he said, “I don’t know,” before heading into the building.
That only added another layer to an already murky situation. The Lions have reportedly been negotiating with Gibbs’ camp, and the lack of a signed extension has made his absence from practice understandable. Still, his comment that it’s not about a new deal raised plenty of eyebrows.
If contract talks aren’t the reason, then what is? The team has said Gibbs is dealing with a minor back injury, though the assumption around the situation is that it’s serving as a cover for a hold-in.
For now, Gibbs seems to be keeping things close to the vest and not offering the media much to work with. All signs point to active negotiations, and the feeling is that a deal is only a matter of time. Given what he means to the offense, the Lions are expected to get something done before the season starts, which would make Gibbs the league’s highest-paid running back.
Detroit can live with him missing camp reps far more easily than it can live with him missing real games. Even so, the longer this drags on, the more important it becomes for Gibbs to get his conditioning right and his body ready for the season. Nobody wants him playing catch-up once the games count, or dealing with an injury because he wasn’t fully prepared.
The cleanest path is simple: get the deal done, get Gibbs back on the field, and move on.
In Other News...
Kelvin Sheppards Terrion Arnold Comment Says Everything About This Lions Mess
Terrion Arnolds exit from Detroit has left the Lions dealing with more than a roster decision. The cornerback was released after legal issues surfaced, and the move sent a player once viewed as a promising piece of the defense out the door while the organization tried to steady itself around a situation no team wants hanging over a locker room.
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppards recent comment on Arnold only sharpened the sense of what might have been. Sheppard said Arnolds talent was still untapped and then stopped there, a brief answer that said plenty about the players upside and the abrupt way this story ended. Arnold remains out on bond while waiting for court proceedings, and for Detroit, the football side of it is now tangled up with everything else. [Read more 🡒]
Lions WR3 Race Suddenly Feels Much Less Settled
Isaac TeSlaa looked like a player with momentum entering Lions training camp after a promising rookie season, but the early returns have been quieter than expected. The third receiver spot has become one of those jobs that can shift fast in camp, especially in Detroit, where Dan Campbell keeps hammering the idea that every role has to be earned and re-earned.
Cedrick Wilson is the veteran now drawing attention in that mix, with Campbell pointing to the skills he brings on offense and the value he adds on special teams. That kind of endorsement matters in a room where the Lions want competition to stay real, and it leaves the WR3 battle feeling far less settled than it did a few practices ago. [Read more 🡒]
Jahmyr Gibbs Just Gained Serious Leverage In Lions Extension Talks
Bijan Robinsons new deal in Atlanta just shifted the running back market in a way that matters in Detroit, where Jahmyr Gibbs is still waiting on his next contract. Robinsons extension gives the Lions another clear reference point as they work through what Gibbs should be worth after he became one of the leagues most dynamic offensive weapons. For a team that has built so much of its identity around explosive skill talent, the timing of this negotiation feels especially notable.
The Lions also have to balance whatever comes next for Gibbs against a cap picture that is already getting crowded with long-term money. Detroit has made no secret that keeping its core together will require careful planning, and that reality gives this conversation an extra layer of complexity. Gibbs has plenty of leverage at the moment, but the shape of the eventual deal may come down to how creatively the Lions can manage the rest of their books. [Read more 🡒]