The Detroit Lions have some expensive choices ahead, though where running back Jahmyr Gibbs is concerned, there isn’t all that much to decide.
Gibbs is in the midst of a career season and all but a lock to earn at least Pro Bowl honors for the third consecutive year, if not an All-Pro nod and potentially Offensive Player of the Year votes. He is still just 23 years old and as a former first-round pick, he is under contract for 2026 while the Lions also retain a team option they can exercise next spring to bring him back through 2027.
That said, Gibbs will be eligible for a contract extension next summer, and there is zero reason for Detroit not to pay him. In fact, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN predicted on Wednesday, December 10 that when the Lions do extend Gibbs, the franchise will make him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
“[Gibbs] is positioned to become the league’s highest-paid running back soon enough,” Fowler wrote. “He’s the deadliest open-field force in the league, getting better by the week, and the Lions keep giving him more in the passing game (31 targets over the past month). … So, my sense here is Detroit will push to get Gibbs done.”
Jahmyr Gibbs Projected to Match Saquon Barkley’s Annual Salary With More Total Years
GettyRunning back Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is the highest-paid running back of all time as of 2025, with an annual average salary of $20.6 million over a two-year deal and the most total guaranteed money at $36 million.
Spotrac currently projects Gibbs’ market value at $20.6 million over a new three-year contract.
Gibbs has rushed the football 187 times for 1,062 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and 13 TDs this season. He has added 58 catches for 474 yards and three scores. He led the league last season with 20 total touchdowns.
The Detroit running back has missed just two of a possible 47 regular season games since joining the NFL in 2023.
Lions Have 3 Other Elite Players Eligible for New Deals Next Season
GettySafety Brian Branch of the Detroit Lions.
Aside from Gibbs, the Lions have three other top contributors who are eligible to sign extensions next spring. Two of them, however, are out for the remainder of the season with injuries.
Fowler wrote that Detroit is liable to go the same route with safety Brian Branch (Achilles surgery) and tight end Sam LaPorta (back surgery) next year as it did with pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson this season. The Lions made sure Hutchinson was capable of returning to his previous form after a major injury, then paid him like one of the best players in the NFL.
Linebacker Jack Campbell is the last of the group of top players up for a contract extension in the offseason. Fowler reported that Detroit will likely “gauge his market” and then make a decision. However, waiting for more information on Branch and LaPorta probably means Campbell has a better chance of inking a significant deal and remaining with the Lions longterm.
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