We got our latest major bit of Detroit Lions roster news earlier this week, when it was announced the team had picked up the fifth-year option for running back Jahmyr Gibbs but declined it for linebacker Jack Campbell.
The decision was largely shaped by the NFL’s formula for calculating fifth-year option values, which takes into account position, playing time and performance incentives. Campbell is an off-ball linebacker but all linebackers, including edge rushers, are included in one category.
This means his fifth-year option would cost $21.9 million, which would have made Campbell the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in football if Detroit had picked it up.
Gibbs, by comparison, is on a much more stomachable, fully-guaranteed one-year $14.3 million deal.
So it makes sense why the Lions declined the option even if they still view Campbell as a long-term player. And it appears they do.
The @Lions absolutely consider Campbell part of their plans going forward. Just makes more sense under the cap to get a longer deal done vs locking in 5th year in '27.
— Dan Miller (@DanMillerFox2) April 28, 2026
But Campbell’s situation is eerily similar to one the Baltimore Ravens faced last year, when it was time to make the call on the fifth-year option for Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.
Lions must avoid Ravens' Linderbaum dilemma with Campbell extension
Like linebackers, the fifth-year option for offensive lineman is calculated the same way for all positions on the offensive line, even though tackles tend to make much more than centers and guards. It drove Linderbaum’s option up to $23.4 million, which Baltimore deemed too much to pay for a center and declined.
But Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement at the time that “It is our intention for him to remain a Raven long term.” That of course did not materialize, as Linderbaum hit unrestricted free agency in March and signed a three-year, $81 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
This left a glaring hole in the middle of the Ravens' offensive line--one they are admittedly still trying to figure out with the draft and free agency already over.
It’s totally reasonable to be frustrated about this situation existing in the first place. The NFL’s outdated positional stipulations group players together who play different positions and earn different money. It results in these kinds of situations where both the team and player lose out.
READ MORE: Ranking the Lions' 5 defensive draft selections by their chances of starting
But for the Lions, the situation is what it is. They can’t let a bad rule get in the way of resigning their all-world linebacker.
In 2025, Campbell finished second in the NFL in total tackles with 176 while also recording five sacks, nine tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four passes defended. His 90.2 overall grade by Pro Football Focus was No. 2 among 88 linebackers.
The Lions still have decisions looming on other 2023 draftees up for extension like tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch, who is coming off a torn achilles. Plus, they still have to worry about extending Gibbs after picking up his option.
When you draft great players, you have to pay them, and that’s a good problem to have. But as the Lions continue to reward their in-house talent with lucrative extensions, the room they have to fit them all together only gets smaller.
But Campbell should be tabbed as one of the guys who the Lions cannot afford to lose under any circumstances. He is the heart and soul of their defense, providing rugged run defense, a feel for pass coverage, fearsome blitzing and an overall sense of physicality and smarts that rubs off on the entire unit.
His 2025 breakout was a big part of why Detroit chose to let veteran stalwart Alex Anzalone walk in free agency. And though the Lions may feel like they can afford to live without Anzalone, their linebacker room cannot hold up as a serious unit without Campbell anchoring it.
The Lions must avoid the Ravens’ fate with Linderbaum and find a way to keep their star linebacker in town. There don’t appear to be any signs right now of any disconnect between the two sides, and they should be able to agree on a number slightly below $21.9 million per year that can be spread out over multiple seasons.
But a deal still has to get done at the end of the day.
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