Lions Fans Don’t Feel Confident Jahmyr Gibbs Gets Deal Soon After GM Interview

The Detroit Lions and their star running back have yet to reach a new contract, and as a result it has become a storyline looming over the start of training camp.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs has not participated in the team’s practices since camp began last week, with the prevailing reason being that he is holding in until he gets a contract extension.

Gibbs is one of two running backs from the 2023 NFL Draft class who entered camp awaiting a new contract, and the other domino fell as Atlanta agreed to a new deal with Bijan Robinson to reset the running back market.

Now, eyes are on the Lions and Gibbs to see if they get a deal done. Gibbs is under team control through the end of the 2027 season on account of his fifth-year option, but there is mounting pressure to get a deal done as he remains out of training camp practices.

General manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have both had to answer questions about Gibbs’ absence. Campbell said early in camp that he wasn’t sweating getting a deal done, but more recently has stated he’s anxious about getting the back onto the field for practices.

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On Wednesday, Holmes touched on the subject with Sirius XM as part of the NFL Training Camp Tour with hosts Jacob Hester and Pat Kirwan.

“Look, I can only say — Obviously we love Jahmyr,” Holmes said. “Me and Dan have always been believers in that 1,2 punch. I just think that’s kind of how this league is going now. We’re having dialogue. We’ll see where it goes.”

When Kirwan, a former NFL front office executive himself, reassuringly told Holmes the deal will get done, the GM responded, “That’s the hope.”

The Lions have a tough bar to clear with Gibbs’ contract after Robinson’s new deal set a new standard. Robinson’s contract extension is worth up to $75 million over three years, with a base salary average of $22.25 million per year and $51 million guaranteed.

Detroit has several key players already under hefty contract extensions, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, Jared Goff and most recently linebacker Jack Campbell. A fellow first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Campbell inked a four-year, $81 million extension earlier in the offseason.

Based on Holmes’ response, and the fact that Robinson’s contract did not immediately trigger a new deal, the two sides could be apart on negotiations to a certain extent. The response from Holmes didn’t exactly inspire confidence from fans.

One fan wrote, “Not a good sign,” while another posted that Holmes “Didn’t seem too confident.”

Here is a snippet of the online reaction to Holmes’ comments regarding Gibbs’ contract situation.

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