At a certain point during OTAs, it no longer made sense for Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to withhold his services as he moves toward becoming one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL.
But as training camp approached, it made plenty of sense for him to stage a "hold-in" until he gets that new contract. And that is what Gibbs has done. He is present at Allen Park, so he can avoid mandatory and unwaivable fines for not being there, but he has not been participating in practice.
Head coach Dan Campbell said Gibbs is dealing with a minor back issue that popped up during his pre-camp conditioning test. Reporting from Lions' camp on Sunday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed Gibbs is dealing with a "minor injury."
"We've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Jahmyr Gibbs is here on the field behind me, the bad news is he's not doing anything except standing there in a hoodie and watching practice," Rapoport said. "He is dealing with, I would say a minor injury as he waits for his contract to be done."
Gibbs had not been seen by Lions' reporters at training camp before Sunday. So standing on the sideline watching practice was a notable development, even as we tend to overanalyze everything in these kind of situations, and we have visual proof beyond Rapoport's words.
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs is still not practicing, but he is on the sidelines as teammates work through drills here on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/S9cACODl7z
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 2, 2026
Jahmyr Gibbs update seems like a very positive sign for contract talks
Rapoport previously reported, in terms of looming big running back contracts, the Atlanta Falcons' talks with Bijan Robinson have been more active than the Lions' talks with Gibbs.
Robinson and Gibbs both deserve to reset the top of the running back market, and both could do so my a fair margin. The first one to get their new contract will likely set the bar for the other, with Robinson rumored to be seeking $23 million per year.
So it would behoove the Lions to get their deal done with Gibbs sooner as opposed to later, and, of course, before the Falcons get to their finish line with Robinson. We're probably only talking a difference of a few million dollars per season when it's all said and done, but every dollar counts when Lions' general manager Brad Holmes wants to pay everybody.
READ MORE: Detroit Lions 2026 Training Camp Tracker
Gibbs' presence on the sideline Sunday is potentially two folds of good news. Caution would be the word with any injury for any player this early in training camp, especially before pads come on, but maybe his back is feeling better just in time for the first padded practice.
More than that, as optimism about a quick resolution to the situation had been dropping a little bit, news of a lucrative contract extension for Gibbs might be around the corner.
Add us as a preferred source on Google