Even though the Detroit Lions had a fairly disappointing season in 2025, Jack Campbell held his end of the bargain. The former first-round selection established himself as one of the league's top linebackers, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
As such, he could've taken the same approach most big names take once it's time to get to the table and negotiate a new deal. He could've pointed at Fred Warner's $21 million per year and demanded more in his new extension.
Instead, he took a somewhat team-friendly deal. He agreed to a four-year, $81 million contract that will pay him $20.5 million, which isn't necessarily great news for linebackers hoping he would reset the market and raise the baseline for their contracts. When asked about that, he explained that he just wanted to play ball and be a Lion.
Jack Campbell wants much more than money from the Detroit Lions
"I told (Lions general manager) Brad (Holmes) this, the number one thing for me through this whole entire process was to remain a Lion because I want to be a part of this... I don’t need to be the highest-paid, even though the guys around the league would probably appreciate that because it bumps up everything else, so I’m sorry to them," Campbell said.
Of course, he still got plenty of money from the deal, but in a league full of players who often put their finances first, it's refreshing to know he's trying to give the team a hand, building for now and for the future.
Campbell had the second-most tackles among linebackers last season. He posted career highs in tackles (176), solo tackles (89), tackles for loss (9), QB hits (5), sacks (5.0), forced fumbles (3), and fumble recoveries (2). He also had four passes defensed, and had the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among linebackers (90.2).
Linbeackers play one of the most ungrateful positions in the sport. Despite their big impact and versatility, they don't make the big bucks like cornerbacks and edge rushers, so he may not be the most popular guy among his colleagues.
However, he's just proving the Lions did the right thing by trusting him as a pillar of their project for years to come.
That said, after such a lofty payday and with the way he raised the bar for himself after an impressive 2025 season, he'll have to do plenty of heavy lifting in 2026 to try to one-up himself again.
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