Jahmyr Gibbs' impending contract extension feels destined to break the running back market, but it's not solely due to his talent. Gibbs' outsized role on the Detroit Lions' offense thanks to their trading of David Montgomery away to the Houston Texans seems to be the likeliest reason why they'll be breaking the bank to keep him on board longterm.
The Athletic's Daniel Popper recently wrote an article on the NFL's 10 most interesting contract situations headed into training camp, which kicked off for the Lions on July 28. Popper wrote of Gibbs' extension:
"The Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley is the highest-paid running back in the league at $20.6 million in AAV. Gibbs has certainly been productive enough to reset that market. He is also potentially set up for an even bigger role this season with the Lions trading David Montgomery to the Texans in March."
Gibbs' payday might've ballooned thanks to Montgomery trade
Obviously, prior to this trade, it was clear that Gibbs was RB1 in the Lions' system. The phenom has been toppling Lions rushing records left and right since being drafted back in 2023, rivaling the start from Lions legend Barry Sanders with his first three seasons in the NFL.
Still, had the team retained Montgomery, and with a new offensive coordinator that probably knows what else to do with such a dynamic backfield other than just spamming runs up the middle with either player, it'd be fair to imagine a world where Gibbs isn't the sole generator of offense for 2026.
READ MORE: The Jimmy Rolder hype is gaining steam amid tight linebacker competition
That's an exaggeration, obviously, with so many other weapons for the Lions lurking in the air and with quarterback Jared Goff in tow. But, without Montgomery, Gibbs is basically their only really reliable back. Isiah Pacheco is looking to bounce back from a really poor 2025, while Sione Vaki hasn't proven to be much outside of a sometimes-good special teams unit member.
Had Montgomery stayed in the fold, Gibbs could've been looking at an extension far less than what he can command now.
That's especially the case since we're still waiting on Bijan Robinson's new deal with the Atlanta Falcons, which should generate a similar structure to whatever Gibbs gets now. That trade really cemented Gibbs as the future face of the Lions' offense, and now, it might be the game changer for Detroit's negotiations with Gibbs as we get training camp underway.
Add us as a preferred source on Google