After a few days of speculation that the Detroit Lions and Jahmyr Gibbs would finally hammer down an extension following Bijan Robinson's deal, the Lions have finally announced that Gibbs has been extended. His deal, first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, is for three years and $67.5 million dollars. The deal, per Schefter, could be worth up to $75.75 million dollars, with $51.5 million dollars guaranteed.
He is now the highest paid running back in the league.
The superstar running back had gotten his fifth-year option picked up by the Lions before the May 1 deadline to do so, ensuring that Detroit would only need to pay Gibbs $14.2 million in 2027. That's a major bargain for Gibbs, who has quickly established himself as one of the NFL's most explosive backs and a hugely impactful piece of the teams' offense.
Gibbs' deal was done shortly after Robinson's, where the Atlanta Falcons' star running back reset the market entirely for running backs. This probably did not help the Lions a great deal during negotiations with Gibbs, but it also never felt like Gibbs was at-risk of testing free agency following the 2027 season. Now, both sides get to comfortably kick off the rest of offseason activities.
Gibbs locked down with Lions on multi-year deal
This was a fascinating piece to the offseason puzzle for teams and high-caliber running backs. Gibbs and Robinson were the main duo discussed with regard to large extensions getting done, with both anticipated to get contracts that would become the highest in the league. It's deservedly so, with both acting as major hubs for their respective offenses.
Gibbs has hit over 1,000 rushing yards in his last two seasons with the Lions, and in his rookie season, nearly hit that mark with 945 rushing yards. He also broke a record previously held by Lions legend Barry Sanders last season by scoring the most rushing touchdowns in Lions history before the age of 24.
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Gibbs is a key piece to Detroit's success moving forward, and at just 24 years old, it makes sense that the team would want to lock him down longterm alongside the rest of their young core. Assuming his deal is structured similarly to Campbell's, Gibbs' new contract likely doesn't hamstring the Lions terms of their cap space until much later in his contract.
This is a developing story and we'll update this piece with more information on Gibbs' deal as it comes in.
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