The Detroit Lions’ veterans report for training camp in less than two weeks, however, there is now some concern that one key player may not be there without a new contract.
On Thursday, Jon Jansen of 97.1 The Ticket brought to light that chatter is starting to swirl around a potential Jahmyr Gibbs training camp holdout or hold-in, as contract negotiations between the team and the superstar running back appear to have stalled.
“A little bit of the inside scuttle is that there is a chance that Jahmyr Gibbs is looking at running back deals, the contracts that the Lions have handed out when they’ve handed them out, and says, ‘I’m next in line.’ If I don’t get my contract before camp, maybe a hold-in or holdout, however you want to talk about it, not practicing until he gets a new deal,”
The 24-year-old Gibbs is about to enter the fourth year of the four-year, $17.85 million rookie contract he signed with the Lions in 2023, which includes a fifth-year option for 2027. He’s coming off a massive season in which he rushed for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 77 receptions for 616 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.
Gibbs has seen the likes of Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker, and Travis Etienne earn sizeable paydays in free agency, while Devon Achane also recently inked a hefty new extension.
It’s hard to argue that many, if any, other running backs in the NFL are as good as or better than Gibbs, so you can understand why he’s starting to feel an increased sense of urgency around getting a new deal that pays him what he deserves.
While the threat of a holdout or hold-in looms large, there’s no reason Detroit shouldn’t be able to lock up it’s offensive centerpiece, especially after shedding David Montgomery’s contract earlier in the offseason. Nonetheless, this will be a situation to monitor moving forward.
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