Last week, the running backs became the biggest talking point in the NFL after three major contract extensions of Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor, and Bijan Robinson. With that, the question has come up whether the league’s top RBs can enter the NFL MVP conversations heading into the 2026 season.
The topic was discussed after the big extension of the Lions star, which made him the top-paid RB in the NFL. Prominent host Rich Eisen gave his take on who could be leading the race between Robinson and Gibbs in the MVP race next campaign.
“I will go Bijan; I will go with him,” Rich Eisen said on The Rich Eisen Show. “We have already seen Bijan carry the ball and touch the ball a significant number of times. We have not seen that from Gibbs yet.”
Eisen pointed out that while both young running backs are elite, the Falcons star has been tested and a true bell-cow in his NFL career with heavy shares of catches and touches. As Gibbs, David Montgomery shared the workload with him.
However, the Lions star is expected to have a bigger role in 2026, as coach Campbell has insisted that he will have a true bell-cow role after the departure of Montgomery to the Houston Texans, meaning he might be able to share identical offensive duties like Robinson next season.
While both RBs are excellent, they must have incredible seasons to be NFL MVP finalists.
A Running Back Needs More Than a Great Season to Become an MVP Finalist
It is not easy for non-quarterbacks to become the NFL MVP finalists—let alone win it. In the last thirteen seasons, all the NFL MVP honors were won by signal-callers, including the 2025 season, when it was clinched by Los Angeles Rams‘ Matthew Stafford. Interestingly, the last non-QB to win the award was a running back.
The Minnesota Vikings legend, Adrian Peterson, who also played for the Lions in 2020, was the non-QB and running back MVP. In his record-breaking 2012 MVP season, he had 2,097 rushing yards and an impressive 348 carries along with 12 rushing touchdowns.
GettyAdrian Peterson won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2012 after rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings.
If either Robinson or Gibbs wants an MVP push, rushing 2,000 yards a season should be the ultimate benchmark. The Lions star’s career-best number was rushing 1,412 yards in 2024, but he is only 24, entering his fourth season. So, he has plenty of time to accomplish this feat.
Eagles‘ Saquon Barkley was the last running back to hit the magic number (2,005 rushing yards) in 2024, and he became one of the NFL MVP finalists alongside Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen, with the Bills QB taking home the award.
While Robinson and Gibbs would love to have a place in the MVP race, their recent deals were a huge lift for the running back market.
Jahmyr Gibbs Quickly Surpasses Bijan Robinson With Lions Payday
The NFL running back market has exploded in the past few days with high-paying deals. Both Robinson and Gibbs took ‘hold-in’ approaches with their respective teams, staying away from physical drills during their training camps.
GettyDetroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs
It was the Falcons star who received the good news first, as he signed the most expensive deal for a running back in the NFL on August 4. He made the three-year deal official for $66.75 million, at an average yearly pay of $22.25 million.
On the other side, the Lions’ Sonic waited only 48 hours to sign his new deal, overstepping Robinson to become the most expensive RB in the National Football League. The two running backs’ annual contracts were separated by a mere $250,000, paying $22.50 million a year. With Campbell and Holmes putting so much faith in Gibbs, the next step for the young star is to justify his price tag.
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