Information sourced from: ESPN (2) (3), Jeremy Reisman on X
The Lions answered all the questions and murmurs today by making Jahmyr Gibbs the highest paid running back in the NFL.
Earlier in the day, Jahmyr showed up to Lions practice in full gear, ready to go. This marked a departure from his previous days at camp where he had attended, but not participated or geared up in any way. It was apparent something had changed, and now we know what.
The newly minted Gibbs contract numbers are as follows per ESPN: 3 years, $65 million dollars base value, worth up to $75.75 million dollars, with $51.5 million dollars in guarantees. Yearly cap hits and additional information on the structure of the contract are not yet apparent, which is normal.
The Gibbs contract is nearly a photo copy of what Bijan Robinson signed, which was 3 years, $66.75 million dollars (based on $22.25 annual value), worth up to $75 million dollars, with $51 million dollars in guarantees. So while this does make Gibbs the highest paid running back in the NFL, it’s not by a lot. Nonetheless, Gibbs takes the crown from Bijan Robinson.
This week showed a marked change in the stance on paying running backs, as Jonathan Taylor signed a 2 year $44 million dollar contract as well. Gone are the days of underpaying running backs due to concerns of durability and longevity, and these hard working backs are now making what they deserve.
The days of $100 million/year QBs and $70 million/year linemen and $50 million/year for everything else are around the corner.