Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t sweating his next contract. The Lions running back is letting his agent do the heavy lifting while he focuses on, well, football. That approach might end up paying off in a huge way.
Detroit picked up Gibbs’ fifth-year option back in April. That was the easy part. The hard part — or the expensive part, depending on how you look at it — is the extension everyone expects to follow. ESPN’s Eric Woodyard reported Wednesday that the Lions are projected to sign Gibbs to what would be a record-setting deal this offseason.
Gibbs has been a problem for defenses since he stepped into the league. Three straight Pro Bowls. Three straight seasons with over 1,200 all-purpose yards and double-digit touchdowns. He’s not just good. He’s in that tier where you start comparing him to the all-time greats before their second contracts.
The Bijan factor
Here’s where it gets interesting. National analysts have been watching the Gibbs situation alongside what’s happening in Atlanta with Bijan Robinson. Those two are widely considered the top backs in football right now. Both are due for massive extensions. And whoever signs first might end up setting the market for the other guy to beat.
It’s basically a game of chicken. Gibbs knows it. Robinson’s camp knows it. The Lions and Falcons front offices definitely know it.
But Gibbs isn’t playing along with the narrative. When reporters asked him about the Bijan comparisons during OTAs, he shrugged it off. “I don’t really pay attention to all that stuff,” he said, per Woodyard. He added that his focus is on team success: “I’m worried about the team. I’m just trying to hoop right now.”
That’s the right thing to say. But the money will come regardless.
What a record-setting deal actually looks like
Christian McCaffrey’s extension with the 49ers reset the running back market at $19 million per year. That’s the number Gibbs and Robinson are both chasing. Given the cap has gone up and the position has been devalued league-wide, it’s not a given that either guy gets there. But the Lions have shown they’re willing to pay their core guys. They locked down Amon-Ra St. Brown. They gave Penei Sewell a massive deal. Gibbs is the next domino.
The schedule works in Detroit’s favor too. They have one of the easier slates in the league next season. That should help Gibbs put up numbers that make the extension look like a no-brainer by October.
For now, Gibbs is letting the process play out. His agent negotiates. He plays football. And if all goes as expected, he’ll be in Detroit for a long time getting paid like the elite back he is.
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