In the midst of the Detroit Lions' draft picks and a busy Saturday night that featured a ton of intriguing UDFA signings, one non-action might've been sticking out in the mind's of fans: the fifth-year options for both Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell not yet being exercised.
The Lions have exercised players' fifth-year options and then extended them immediately after in the past, as a means of saving money for at least one extra season in between their rookie contract ending and their bigger deal kicking in. They did it for Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson this last year.
General manager Brad Holmes told reporters during a draft availability that conversations were still ongoing with Campbell and Gibbs in relation to those fifth-year options. That's cutting it quite close to the May 1 deadline for those options to be picked up, and it's presumably because Detroit is seeking to do exactly what they did for Williams and Hutchinson for these two players.
Lions must extend Gibbs, Campbell soon
Both players are critical to the Lions' success for years to come. Gibbs finally has some support up front after the Lions drafted Blake Miller in the first round, and Campbell has some decent help in the linebacker room with the Lions' drafting of Jimmy Rolder in addition to them already rostering Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez.
Campbell's also the captain of the Lions' defense, and has been since last year. Risking letting him walk in free agency after the 2026 season would be a terrible decision for this Lions front office to make, especially after already losing Alex Anzalone.
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The market for running backs has skyrocketed in recent years, with Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey really setting the bar for the group. Gibbs could get paid even more than those two, given his age and impact on Detroit's success. Campbell would be in the same camp, especially since he made the Pro Bowl in 2025.
Because of that accolade, Campbell is due a whopping $21.9 million if his fifth-year option is exercised. Gibbs would earn $14.3 million on his option, which would make him the fifth-highest paid running back in 2026, per Spotrac.
With how...frugal the Lions have been this past offseason, you'd have to imagine they were prepared to have to pony up this money to two key players of their roster with these options. However, with May 1 right around the corner, it's beginning to feel like Detroit isn't prepared to commit that much cap on fifth-year options alone.
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