The Detroit Lions have taken care of one of the biggest pieces of their offense, agreeing to a long-term extension with Jahmyr Gibbs that makes him the highest paid running back in the league.
The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and runs three years for $67.5 million. Per Schefter, it can climb to $75.75 million, with $51.5 million guaranteed.
Detroit had already picked up Gibbs’ fifth-year option before the May 1 deadline, which would have kept him on the books for $14.2 million in 2027. Instead, the Lions moved now to lock in a player who has become one of the NFL’s most explosive backs and a central part of the offense.
Gibbs’ extension comes shortly after Bijan Robinson’s deal with the Atlanta Falcons reset the running back market. That timing likely made negotiations tougher for Detroit, but there was never much reason to think Gibbs was headed toward free agency after the 2027 season. Now the Lions and Gibbs can turn the page and move into the rest of the offseason with the deal done.
The contract also fits the bigger picture around how teams are handling top-tier running backs right now. Gibbs and Robinson have been the two names at the center of that conversation, and both ended up landing the kind of contracts that push the position to a new level financially. It makes sense given how important both players are to their offenses.
Gibbs has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his last two seasons in Detroit. As a rookie, he came close with 945 rushing yards. He also set a Lions record last season by scoring the most rushing touchdowns in franchise history before turning 24, breaking a mark previously held by Barry Sanders.
At 24, Gibbs is exactly the kind of young cornerstone the Lions wanted to keep around for the long haul. If the structure follows the same general path as Campbell’s, the new deal likely won’t become a major cap issue until much later in the contract.
This remains a developing story.
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