Jahmyr Gibbs breaks silence about contract situation, future with Lions

The Detroit Lions trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans earlier this offseason ensured that Jahmyr Gibbs will be Detroit's undisputed lead running back for at least the start of the 2026 season. 

Gibbs is under contract through 2027, but he could reset the market for players at the position at any point this spring or summer. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, he indicated he isn't losing sleep over when he will get paid or how much money will be attached to the expected extension. 

Jahmyr Gibbs more worried about the Lions than about getting paid

"I’m just letting my agent, [Lions general manager Brad Holmes] and all them do all that right now," Gibbs explained, per Will Burchfield of Audacy. "I’m just worried about the team and ball. I’m just trying to hoop right now." 

The StatMuse website shows that Gibbs was fifth in the NFL with 1,839 total yards from scrimmage and second with 18 scrimmage touchdowns for the 2025 regular season. To compare, Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons led the league with 2,298 total scrimmage yards, and he accumulated 11 total touchdowns. 

The perception exists that the second of the two players who signs an extension will become the new highest-paid running back in the NFL. Gibbs suggested that he won't be too upset if he begins the 2026 campaign second on such lists. 

"I don’t know," Gibbs said about that particular situation. "I don’t really pay attention to all that stuff, I just really want to hoop right now. I’ll let my agent and Brad do all that, and I’ll be out here."

Jahmyr Gibbs wants to stay put beyond the terms of his current contract

Gibbs has played only for the Lions since they selected him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. There's no indication Detroit won't lock him down, and he seems to want to stay put for the foreseeable future. 

"It’s had a huge impact on me since I’ve been here," Gibbs said about calling Detroit home. "I love the people here. I love the sports teams here. It’s just been fun overall. I never thought I’d be here, in Detroit, growing up, but I really like it here."

Per Jacob Richman of MLive, Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently referred to Gibbs as "our bell cow." For a piece posted on May 27, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic noted that he thinks the Lions will "look to secure a deal with Gibbs before the Falcons and Robinson."