Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson have been having a stand-off this offseason, waiting to see who would blink first and set the market for an extension.
Both were first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and both entered the offseason extension-eligible after tremendous starts to their professional careers. Both backs have emerged as two of the very best in the league through three seasons.
Early Tuesday morning, Robinson blinked in the standoff. The former Texas RB agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $75 million with a record $51 million guaranteed, making Robinson the highest-paid RB in NFL history. For now.
ESPN sources: Two-time Pro-Bowl selection Bijan Robinson and the Falcons reached agreement on a three-year extension worth up to $75 million that now will make him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Robinson will receive a record $51 million guaranteed, including $37… pic.twitter.com/bLzbDVEgfh
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2026
Gibbs and his agent now know the bar. A Gibbs extension should come soon, and it won't be for a penny less than what Robinson got.
Jahmyr Gibbs should receive a new record-setting contract from the Detroit Lions any day now
Coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, both Robinson and Gibbs were consensus first-round picks. Robinson was expected to go as high as he ultimately did to the Falcons, while many thought Gibbs would be toward the end of round one. Instead, the Lions controversially used the No. 12 pick on the former Alabama running back. It didn't take long for Gibbs to prove Detroit right.
Despite splitting time with David Montgomery, Gibbs has produced 3580 rushing yards and 1449 receiving yards with 49 total touchdowns across his three NFL seasons so far. With Montgomery being moved this offseason, Gibbs should get a Robinson-like workload in year four and could be a threat to lead the NFL in rushing yards.
Gibbs, like Robinson, has been a "hold-in" during Training Camp so far. That means he's showing up every day, but not participating in drills or practices yet. He's not willing to risk injury before getting what will be a historic contract extension done.
Now that Robinson's extension has been finalized, it's only a matter of time before Gibbs' deal gets done by Detroit. When finished, it'll be the biggest contract in NFL history for a running back. What will be interesting is to see if he sacrifices a little bit of AAV (average annual value) for an extra year of security on the deal, or if he lands the same three-year pact as Robinson, just with another million dollars or two tacked on to it.
The extension is imminent. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said in the immediate aftermath of the Robinson news that the deal is "certainly not going to hurt" in getting Gibbs' deal done, mentioning he's anxious to get his star RB back onto the practice field.
He shouldn't have to wait much longer.
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