Two of the best running backs in the NFL, Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, were not participating in the first day of team practice on Wednesday as training camps got underway.
Gibbs was absent altogether, while Robinson was seen on the field without a helmet, watching his teammates go through drills.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the reasoning for it is that both Gibbs and Robinson are seeking long-term contract extensions with their respective teams.
“Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Falcons RB Bijan Robinson both are not practicing today. Both running backs have had conversations during the off-season about a potential long-term contract.
The 24-year-old Gibbs is about to enter the fourth and final year of the four-year, $17.85 million rookie contract he signed with the Lions in 2023, while Robinson, 24, is also poised to enter the fourth and final year of the four-year, $21.96 million rookie deal he signed with the Falcons in 2023. Both have fifth-year options for the 2027 season.
There had been murmurs about Gibbs holding out or holding in as he awaited a new contract, and that’s now come to light to start training camp. Robinson doing the same hadn’t drawn as much speculation, though it makes sense given they’re in nearly identical contract situations.
The eighth and 12th overall picks from the 2023 NFL Draft have lived up to expectations and then some, having quickly emerged as superstars and franchise cornerstones in Detroit and Atlanta.
Either one of them missing significant practice time or games would be a massive blow to the Lions and Falcons. You have to imagine GMs Brad Holmes and Ian Cunningham will be hard at work trying to hammer out new contracts for their running backs sooner rather than later.
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