Jahmyr Gibbs Sends Strong Statement Over Being the Highest Paid Running Back
Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions DETROIT,MICHIGAN-DECEMBER 4: Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs 0 runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Thursday, December 4, 2025 Detroit Michigan United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xJorgexLemusx originalFilename:lemus-dallasco251204_npAjp.jpg
Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions DETROIT,MICHIGAN-DECEMBER 4: Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs 0 runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Thursday, December 4, 2025 Detroit Michigan United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xJorgexLemusx originalFilename:lemus-dallasco251204_npAjp.jpg
Jahmyr Gibbs has quickly become a key young player for the Detroit Lions, with growing talk around his next contract and being the highest-paid running back. Now, he has commented on the situation.
During OTAs media availability, Jahmyr Gibbs was asked about a potential contract extension before the 2026 season, but he made it sternly clear that he is not focused on negotiations right now and is only thinking about football and the team.
“Really, I’m just letting my agent, Brad (Holmes) and all them do that right now,” Gibbs said. “I’m just worried about the team and ball. I’m just trying to hoop right now.”
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 04: Detroit Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs 0 making moves on the outside during the game between Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions on December 4, 2025 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI /CSM Detroit United States - ZUMAc04_ 20251204_zma_c04_039 Copyright: xAllanxDranbergx
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 04: Detroit Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs 0 making moves on the outside during the game between Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions on December 4, 2025 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI /CSM Detroit United States - ZUMAc04_ 20251204_zma_c04_039 Copyright: xAllanxDranbergx
The running back market has picked up again this offseason, with players like De’Von Achane and Breece Hall securing major contract extensions. This shows that teams are once again willing to invest heavily in explosive backs.
That trend naturally brings attention to Jahmyr Gibbs as well, with comparisons already being drawn between him and Bijan Robinson, who entered the league in the same 2023 draft class.
Both were selected in the top 12 and have quickly become key offensive weapons for their respective teams.
At the top of the market, Saquon Barkley’s $20.6 million per year deal is currently the highest at the position, showing how much teams value top running backs.
At the same time, Gibbs’ role is also expected to increase as the Lions make changes in their backfield.
Jahmyr Gibbs Gets Bigger Role in Detroit
The Detroit Lions have moved on from David Montgomery this offseason, which has opened the door for Jahmyr Gibbs to take on a bigger role in the offense.
With added responsibility, he is expected to play a more important role in how the team runs its attack.
“He's going to be our bell cow now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said via MLive. “We're going to hang our hat on him quite a bit… He can run everything that we've got. He can run every scheme that anybody's ever run.”
Gibbs has already shown what he can do when given opportunities. Over his first few seasons, he has crossed 3,500 rushing yards and scored 39 touchdowns, showing that he can handle both inside runs and outside plays.
With Montgomery now in Houston, Gibbs is expected to take on an even bigger workload and become a central part of Detroit’s offense going forward.
With his growing impact, do you think he can become a top-paid running back one day? Let us know in the comments.
Read more at the Detroit Lions Community!
Written by
Divyanshi Raj
Edited by
Aadesh Dhote