The Detroit Lions did not want to pay Jack Campbell a total of $22 million for the 2027 season, but that does not mean they are not interested in paying him big money on a longterm extension.
The massive amounts of money that outside linebackers like Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers, who are essentially edge-rushers, have been banking over the past couple of offseasons inflated Campbell’s fifth-year option as a middle linebacker and former first-round pick (No. 18 overall in 2023).
That led Detroit to decline the option ahead of the May 1 deadline, which means Campbell will become a free agent next spring if he can’t get a deal done with the Lions before then. However, most NFL analysts believe the Lions have every intention of keeping Campbell in the fold.
“The Lions want to keep Campbell, and should want to keep Campbell. All declining the fifth-year option does is move up the timeline for Detroit to get an extension done with Campbell, since 2026 is the last year of control the Lions have,” Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports wrote Tuesday, May 5. “Spotrac believes he has the right to surpass [Fred] Warner in being the new highest-paid linebacker in the NFL with a four-year, [$85.8 million] extension.”
Jack Campbell not Necessarily Top Contract Priority on Stacked Lions’ Roster
GettyDetroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell.
Campbell may have to wait in line, given that Detroit is also looking at possible extensions for safety Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta at some point in the next year.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is probably the single greatest priority, though the team exercised its fifth-year option on his deal and will pay him $14.3 million in 2027.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus also dubbed Campbell among his 15 most likely extension candidates on Tuesday.
The former Iowa standout rebounded from a poor rookie year to become one of the best linebackers in the NFL, as his 90.2 overall PFF grade led all qualifiers last year. Likewise, Campbell’s 0.36 WAR is the most among his peers since 2024.
Off-ball linebacker contracts can be tricky due to the volatile nature of the position, but Campbell feels worthy of being close to the top of the market. Detroit will likely make a push to extend the 25-year-old, avoiding seeing him test free agency in the offseason.
Jack Campbell Arguably Best Middle Linebacker in NFL
GettyDetroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell.
Campbell was a first-team All-Pro during his third campaign and has yet to miss a game since joining the league in 2023. He has started 46 of 51 contests played and been a part of three winning seasons, two NFC North Division titles and two teams that went to the playoffs.
The middle linebacker has tallied 402 combined tackles, including 19 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, 8.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered.
Pro Football Focus ranked Campbell as the No. 2 overall linebacker out of 88 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position in 2025. He finished first in run-defense grade, 12th in coverage grade and 18th in pass-rush grade.
Jack Campbell Projected for Good News After Lions Decline 5th-Year Option