As could've been expected going in, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is "holding in" at training camp as contract talks remain ongoing. His visible presence on the practice field during the final day of the acclimation period before pads came on looked like a sign notable progress on a new contract had been made.
And if that wasn't a sign Gibbs was going to get his new contract very soon, the Atlanta Falcons getting their young star running back Bijan Robinson under contract for the foreseeable future sure was. Or should be, anyway.
Previous reporting from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport suggested contract talks between the Falcons and Robinson were moving faster than contract talks between the Lions and Gibbs were. Now that Robinson's deal is done, things should be ramping up with Gibbs.
Any stall in negotiations is surely rooted in contract semantics. The signing bonus amount. How the remaining guaranteed money is structured/doled out. It's also fair to say the per-year average threshold for new money was clear-cut before Robinson's deal all but locked it in.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Robinson has a new money average of $22.25 million. The initially reported $25 million per year is available to him via escalators that mostly relate to production.
Brad Holmes gives boring (and mildly concerning?) Jahmyr Gibbs update
Holmes made an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Pat Kirwan and Jacob Hester on Wednesday. Gibbs' contract was an automatic topic, with Hester mentioning the addition of Isiah Pacheco before asking directly where things are at with Gibbs,
"Look, obviously we love Jahmyr,” Holmes said. “Me and Dan (Campbell) have always been believers in that one-two punch. I just think that’s how this league is going now. But, you know, we’re having dialogue. We’ll see where it goes.“
Kirwan offered a reassurance that "it'll get there", to which Holmes said "that's the hope."
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Gibbs added layers of confusion to the situation when, speaking to reporters early this week, he said "only time will tell" regarding when he'll get on the practice field. Asked if he needed a new contract before practicing, he added "it's not about that."
Then what is it about? Head coach Dan Campbell has cited a back injury as a reason for Gibbs' practice absence, but if he had a new contract in hand, that injury would surely be cured instantly.
Holmes is never going to say much of anything regarding ongoing contract talks, and he shouldn't say anything overly specific or sound-bity. But these comments, which followed Campbell expressing some surprise Gibbs doesn't have a new contract yet, land with a level of concern (as in any, if we're being honest) that has not existed before.
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