How the Lions can make Jahmyr Gibbs the highest paid running back in NFL history and still have money left over
Gibbs is about to get paid big, here’s how the Lions can still get things done despite that
On Monday, we talked about how the Lions really have two big extensions to get done this offseason and how they’re both going to be very big. We set Jack Campbell up with a record-setting linebacker contract; now it’s time to do the same for Jahmyr Gibbs.
I know there’s been this sentiment around the league for a few years that you don’t pay running backs. To some degree, that is a correct way of thinking. But there are guys that you absolutely have to pay, and Gibbs is 100% one of those guys. Because of that, he’s likely to be the highest-paid running back in NFL history this offseason. Until Bijan Robinson beats him soon after. Let’s take a look at what the deal would look like.
Making Jahmyr Gibbs the highest-paid running back in league history comes with a cost, but the Lions can still work their way around it
Our projection for this deal is that Gibbs will sign a four-year extension worth $76 million, with $52 million of that guaranteed and an AAV of $19 million. Here’s a full layout of the deal:
| Year | Contract Status | Base Salary | Bonus Proration | Cap Hit | Dead Money if Cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Rookie deal (YR4) | $2.9 million | $4.285 million | $7.185 million | $25.71 million |
| 2027 | 5th-year option | $14.143 million | $4.285 million | $18.428 million | $21.43 million |
| 2028 | Extension year 1 | $1.5 million | $4.285 million | $5.785 million | $17.14 million |
| 2029 | Extension year 2 | $9.0 million | $4.285 million | $13.285 million | $12.86 million |
| 2030 | Extension year 3 | $14.0 million | $4.285 million | $18.285 million | $8.57 million |
| 2031 | Extension year 4 | $21.5 million | $4.285 million | $25.785 million | $4.285 million |
| 2032 | Void year | — | $4.285 million | $4.285 million | $4.285 million |
Ok, let’s talk about a few things here. The first is that Gibbs is going to get a little bit of a raise in 2026. His cap hit is going to go from $2.9 million to $7.185 million. The reason we do that is to spread things out a bit so the whole deal isn’t just waiting for the Lions in 2028. He also gets his highest guaranteed money payout in 2026. This is how the Lions like to do it. It helps keep cap hits smaller up front.
Then in 2027, there’s going to be somewhat of a pay raise when the Lions pick up his fifth-year option. That is fully guaranteed and cannot be spread out in any way. The extension then starts in 2028 when Gibbs is still just 26-years-old. He gets a pretty small cap hit that year, so if the Lions wanted to do some deals then, they could.
There is a void year attached, so if the Lions get to say 2030 when Gibbs is 28 and they want to extend him, they can. Otherwise, there’s a way out of the deal if he regresses.
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