On Thursday afternoon, the Detroit Lions announced that All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell signed a four-year extension—one that will keep him under contract through the 2030 NFL season. Contract terms weren’t initially disclosed, but on Thursday night, they were revealed.
As first reported by Ian Rapoport, Campbell’s deal is worth $81 million total, including $51.5 million guaranteed. That’s an average of $20.25 million per year, which is just behind the top linebacker in average earnings: Fred Warner. Last year, Warner signed a three-year, $63 million deal—averaging $21 million per year.
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Let’s compare Campbell’s contract to some of the other high-market linebackers in the league.
Average per year:
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Fred Warner: $21 million/year
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Jack Campbell: $20.5 million/year
By total amount:
Campbell’s total value of $81 million ranks second in the NFL, only trailing Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, who signed a five-year, $100 million contract. What’s interesting about that deal is that it was signed all the way back in 2023, showing that Campbell’s deal has not pushed the market too much beyond where it stood three years ago. Here’s a full list of the top-market deals in overall value right now:
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Roquan Smith: five years, $100 million
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Jack Campbell: four years, $81 million
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Fred Warner: three years, $63 million
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Azeez Al-Shaair: three years, $54 million
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Zack Baun: three years, $51 million
By guaranteed money:
Campbells’ $51.5 million guaranteed places him third among current NFL linebacker deals. Here’s what those top contracts look like:
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Roquan Smith: $60 million guaranteed
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Fred Warner: $56.7 million guaranteed
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Jack Campbell: $51.5 million guaranteed
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Azeez Al-Shaair: $45.75 million guaranteed
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Zack Baun: $34 million guaranteed
One thing to keep in mind with all of these comparable contracts is that every player listed above is 29 years or older. Jack Campbell, on the other hand, will turn 26 years old in August.
So, in short, Campbell—who is considered one of the best off-ball linebackers in football—got a market level deal that was set three years ago, is three years younger than the top-four paid linebackers in the NFL, and is still getting better.
That’s a pretty big win for the Lions.
