Even though Detroit Lions fans were hoping for major upgrades this offseason that never came, the front office seems to be more focused on retaining their own. Some Lions fans have the right to be frustrated with the front office, but this has always been GM Brad Holmes' modus operandi. The Lions want to draft, develop, and re-sign their players. It shouldn't be a surprise that the Lions didn't swing big for a blockbuster trade when they had so many key starters up for extensions.
Jack Campbell was the first one. The Lions signed him to a new extension that made him the second-highest paid linebacker in the league, in terms of both total value and average annual salary. Next up are Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch.
There is a clear interest from the Lions to keep all three of the stars. There are different reasons why extensions haven't been done yet for each player. For LaPorta and Branch, it's likely the fact that they are both coming off major season-ending injuries. The Lions may want to see them in action, at least in training camp, to get a deal done.
Jahmyr Gibbs extension may have to wait a little longer
For Gibbs, there may be a more surprising reason. Dan Graziano of ESPN said earlier this week that Gibbs "could be playing chicken with Atlanta's Bijan Robinson to see who sets the top of that market," before adding that this could take a while.
The Lions recently exercised the fifth-year option on Gibbs, keeping him on his rookie-scale contract for at least two more seasons. The same is true for the Falcons with their star running back. This allows these teams some patience and flexibility as they negotiate their next contracts.
It's also understandable that these two star rushers are competing to be the highest-paid player of their position. Robinson was selected only four picks before Gibbs in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they were the only two RBs drafted in the first round. They have both been incredibly productive in their three seasons in the league and are deserving of setting the market.
Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey currently top the market of running backs, making $20.6 million and $19 million in AAV, respectively. Devon Achane became the third-highest-paid RB in the league last month when he signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Dolphins. Gibbs will almost certainly get more both in terms of total value, AAV, and total guaranteed money than all of these names.
Whether this will be higher than Robinson's next deal, however, remains to be seen.
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