The Detroit Lions’ training camp finished its sixth day at Allen Park on August 4, including two hard-hitting padded practices, yet the star running back Jahmyr Gibbs continued to sit out during the physical drills. The possible reason could be that he was left without a contract extension while entering his fourth season, even though he has Pro Bowl honors in all three seasons he has played in the NFL since 2023.
However, the Atlanta Falcons star RB Bijan Robinson’s record-breaking contract extension yesterday has added more fuel to Gibbs’ current situation, raising serious questions about whether he would be offered a big contract right after the two-time Pro Bowler. ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently shed light on Robinson’s deal and how it could impact the Lions star.
“I think that there was definitely a waiting game going on between Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs,” Schefter said on a recent episode of the Pat McAfee Show. “I always felt like Robinson would go first because the numbers would be higher, and then it would be up to the Lions to try to close that gap, bridge the gap between the two sides, and make the two offers as close as possible. So, I think Gibbs, by waiting, may get some more money, and if they use this deal as a road map, then I would think that Gibbs’ deal shouldn’t take very long.“
Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow’s 2023 Contract Battle Mirrors the Gibbs-Robinson Situation
The waiting game between two elite players playing in the same position is not new in the NFL. A similar situation arrived in the 2023 offseason when the Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s contract extension was due, while Bengals‘ Joe Burrow was also dealing with it.
In the race to secure a more lucrative deal, Burrow had the last laugh. Herbert was the first to sign a huge contract of $262.5 million for 5 years in July 2023, paying him $ 52.5 million a year.
GettyJustin Herbert and Joe Burrow
It was quickly followed by the Bengals signal-caller’s big-money deal in September— right before the 2023 season opener. He became the highest-paid NFL star at that time, signing a staggering five-year $ 275 million contract with an AAV of $55 million. Waiting until the Chargers QB’s signing helped Burrow earn an extra $2.5 million a year.
Given the identical situation between Robinson and Gibbs, the latter has the chance to walk away with more money than the Falcons star, as Schefter predicted, which is a positive sign for the running backs in the league.
Pat McAfee Highlights the Explosive Rise of the NFL Running Back Market
Bijan Robinson’s new deal has certainly given a major boost to the running back market in the NFL, making it great news for Jahmyr Gibbs amid his contract negotiations with the Lions. In the same episode of the Pat McAfee Show, host McAfee explained the rapid rise of the RB market in the past few years.
“The running back market has increased by 39% since 2023,” McAfee said on his show. “It only increased by 11% in the previous 12 years. Obviously, the salary cap has been going up incredibly.“
Saquon Barkley’s $20.6 million-a-year contract, which he signed last year, played a major role in it. Now all eyes are on whether Gibbs can move ahead of both Robinson and Barkley with his new contract.
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