The Detroit Lions are about to back up the Brink’s truck for four star players, but no one is going to cash in like running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
It is true that the NFL no longer values the position the way it once did, either in terms of draft capital or contractually on second and third deals. But Gibbs is among the exceptions that proves the rule.
Detroit used the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 draft to select Gibbs out of Alabama and has not regretted it for a second. He has been a Pro Bowler in all three of his professional seasons and has sniffed 2,000 total yards from scrimmage in each of the past two years.
Gibbs finished the 2025 campaign with 1,223 rushing yards and 13 TDs on the ground. He has never averaged fewer than 5.0 yards per carry and has never scored fewer than 10 rushing touchdowns in a season. He also set career-highs as a receiver out of the backfield last year in receptions (77), yards (616) and touchdowns (5).
As a result, Dan Graziano of ESPN predicted on Friday, January 30 that Gibbs will set the all-time record for total contract value at the running back position by pulling down a four-year deal worth $80 million total that includes $30 million in full guarantees upon his signing.
Jahmyr Gibbs Has Chance to Reset NFL Market at Running Back Position With New Deal
GettyRunning back Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions.
The highest total value of any current running back contract in the league belongs to Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers at four years and $48 million, according to Over The Cap.
The most guaranteed money belongs to Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles at $36 million. He also holds the highest annual average salary of any running back at $20.6 million per season.
An $80 million agreement for Gibbs, who will play his fourth campaign in 2026 at just 24 years old, would blow the current record out of the water. However, guarantees obviously matter more, even to a young and productive player like Gibbs who lacks a significant injury history, thereby making him more likely to collect on non-guaranteed portions of his contract down the line.
Thus, it would not be at all surprising if Gibbs pushed to either exceed Barkley’s $36 million in guarantees and/or his $20.6 million annual average salary, which would reset the market at the position as is typically the goal for top-line players across the NFL looking at their second contracts.
“Gibbs likely tries to beat Barkley’s number, while the Lions will likely try to keep the number under $20 million,” Graziano wrote. “Whether this gets done this offseason could come down to which side digs in harder.”
Lions May Hold Off on Extending Jahmyr Gibbs Given Financial Realities of This Offseason
GettyRunning back Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions.
Gibbs still has one year remaining on his $17.8 million rookie contract. The Lions also hold a fifth-year team option on that deal for 2027 given Gibbs’ former status as a first-round pick. Detroit can exercise that option this spring, which is essentially a given.
Because of that, a new deal for Gibbs may not be the Lions’ first priority given the financial juggling they will have to do to bring back multiple stars up for new deals, including tight end Sam LaPorta, safety Brian Branch and linebacker Jack Campbell.
“Gibbs and Campbell were both first-round picks, which means the team holds fifth-year options on them for 2027,” Graziano wrote. “That likely suggests LaPorta and Branch will be the higher priorities this offseason, since the Lions can hold off Gibbs’ and Campbell’s free agency longer.”
Waiting to pay Gibbs until next offseason carries risk for both sides. Gibbs could suffer a serious injury or experience a downturn in production, either of which could impact the numbers he might command.
However, Gibbs’ history and age suggest he will continue to perform at a high level and remain relatively healthy. In that case, the league’s salary cap projections will have gone up and another running back may reset the market in the interim. The outcome of those developments could be a pricier deal that the Lions must award Gibbs to keep him happy and in a Detroit uniform longterm.
Lions Expected to Ink RB Jahmyr Gibbs to Record-Setting Contract