Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs continues to miss training-camp practices, ostensibly as part of a “hold-in” while negotiating a new contract.
Or is he?
Gibbs, 24, sat out his fifth straight camp practice on Monday, but he’s been attending the team’s Allen Park, Mich. facilities. As he came off the field, Gibbs gave a brief glimpse into how long he might remain out.
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“Only time will tell,” Gibbs cryptically told media members.
Gibbs then was asked if his absence was contract-related. This is where things got more interesting.
“Nah, it’s not about that,” he said.
Asked what then it was about, Gibbs said: “I don’t know.”
Gibbs, the No. 12 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, became eligible for an extension this offseason but remains waiting for a new deal. He’s made three Pro Bowls in his three NFL seasons, rushing for 3,580 yards and scoring 49 TDs.
Gibbs’ rookie contract is set to pay him $3.18 million this season, and the Lions control his rights for two more seasons after picking up his fifth-year option that will pay him $14.3 million in the 2027 season.
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What is the holdup for Jahmyr Gibbs?
Gibbs’ “I don’t know” comment is hard to accept at face value. It’s entirely possible that there are other factors beyond money and a new contract that concern him. But it’s also hard to imagine that his absence isn’t at least partially related to a potential extension.
Like the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, Gibbs has outplayed his rookie contract and certainly is due for a raise at some point. Right now, Gibbs is the NFL’s 31st-highest-paid back, according to OverTheCap, at an average salary per year of $4.46 million – sandwiched between two Chargers backs, Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell.
Hold-ins are more common in recent years, and though they somehow feel less concerning than players who choose to be elsewhere during standoffs, it doesn’t mean there can’t be some real stress between the two sides.
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In 2023, the Colts and Jonathan Taylor were very clearly at loggerheads over his deal. It resulted in the Colts placing Taylor on the PUP list to start the season while he dealt with an ankle injury, and he missed regular-season time while initially requesting a trade. Eventually, Taylor signed a three-year, $42 million extension that October, and the wounds eventually healed between the team and Taylor, but it was quite contentious for some time.
On the flip side, James Cook staged a hold-in with the Bills last summer, and the standoff lasted about a week. But before any real drama could brew, Cook and the team came to an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $46 million in new money.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated that Gibbs suffered a back injury during the team’s pre-cap conditioning test, but Campbell said the injury was not significant. Asked about Gibbs’ current situation, Campbell said Monday that he was at least happy to see him around the team and active, even while not fully returning to action.
“I mean, I think it’s good to see,” Campbell said. “He got a little work inside, and to be able to come out and be around the guys, I think that’s always going to be important.
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“Look, he’s still part of us and the guys, our players love him, we love him. And he’s a part of what we do. So yeah, it’s always good to see him.”
Campbell’s silver-lining quote might not improve the situation at all, but so far the Lions don’t appear to be panicking about Gibbs’ absence.
What a new Gibbs deal could look like
Robinson and Gibbs were both first-round picks in 2023, and each has exceeded expectations and become pillars for their respective franchises. Their numbers are also remarkably similar, with Robinson handling a bit more of the load comparatively and Gibbs offering a little more bang for the buck on total touchdowns and a per-touch basis.
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Only one back, Philadelphia‘s Saquon Barkley, currently makes more than $20 million per year. That’s likely the financial north star that the agents for Gibbs and Robinson are shooting to hit.
Both deserve extensions soon. They’re each 24-year-old dual-threat backs with elite production and terrific durability to this point. Each feels likely to surpass the $20M-per-year mark, whenever they sign their respective deals. But which one will come first?
Outwardly, there appears to be a little less tension between the Falcons and Robinson, and he might be slightly more engaged in on-field activities with the Falcons than Gibbs has been with the Lions to this point.
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If Robinson were to sign an extension soon, he could potentially become the NFL’s highest-paid back by APY. If that happened, it could give Gibbs and his agent an opportunity to best that mark – even if only by a small margin. The two deals aren’t necessarily tied together, but it’s quite obvious that when one signs before the other, it will provide a new comp for the other set of negotiations.
Robinson has teamed with Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta, and Gibbs paired exceptionally well with David Montgomery his first three seasons, but with Montgomery gone, it clearly leaves Gibbs in the driver’s seat for the team’s RB touches. He ranked seventh in the NFL in touches (320) last season but could be due for an expanded role that could push his touch total closer to what Taylor (369), Robinson (366) and Cook (342) accumulated a year ago.
In Gibbs’ absence, Isaiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki have split first-team reps. Neither possesses Gibbs’ versatility or skill. Pacheco totaled 232 touches combined over his past two, injury-plagued seasons with the Chiefs. Vaki, a converted defender, has a combined 10 offensive touches in 27 NFL games for the Lions.
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The Lions might also be closer to contention than the Falcons, even in a tougher division and even after missing the postseason a year ago, raising the anxiety level in Detroit after two-plus years of excellent play. The pressure is on to bounce back from a 9-8 record (even with a plus-68 scoring margin), and Gibbs is a huge part of that effort.
But the team also wants to secure TE Sam LaPorta and DB Brian Branch, also members of the 2023 draft class, to extensions. It won’t be easy getting them all under contract for the future, especially as Jared Goff and other Lions star players take up such big percentages of the team’s salary cap.
It’s a tense time for the Lions, but history says that these deals happen more often than not – even if there are some awkward moments along the way.
