ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The Detroit Lions will exercise the fifth-year option on running back Jahmyr Gibbs but decline the option for linebacker Jack Campbell.
ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted to X on Tuesday (April 28) via Lions insider Eric Woodyard, confirming the news.
Gibbs’ option for the 2027 season is valued at $14.29 million.
Campbell’s option was projected at $21.925 million, a figure that would have exceeded the average salary of the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebackers.
Gibbs takes center stage
Gibbs, 24, the No. 12 pick out of Alabama in 2023, has emerged as one of the league’s most dynamic offensive players and is expected to take on an even larger role in 2026 following the team’s offseason trade of running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick in March.
The fourth-round pick was traded with the Lions’ No. 50 pick to the New York Jets for the No. 44 pick in the 2026 NFL draft to acquire former Michigan Wolverines star, Derrick Moore.
Detroit selected offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 17 pick in the first round on Thursday (April 23).
→ Detroit Lions trade up to select Michigan football star Derrick Moore with No. 44 pick in NFL draft
Through his first three seasons, Gibbs has produced at a historic level, scoring 49 total touchdowns, the most by any player in NFL history over that span.
In 2025, Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 616 receiving yards and five scores.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection’s fifth-year option gives the Lions additional time to negotiate a long-term contract extension.
Campbell’s future still in focus
Campbell, 25, is coming off a standout 2025 season in which he earned first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection.
He led the team with 176 total tackles while adding nine tackles for loss, five sacks, and four passes defended.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes said after the 2026 NFL draft that the team had been in discussions with Campbell’s representatives but had not yet reached a decision.
Despite declining the option, the Lions are expected to continue working toward a long-term deal with Campbell, whom they selected 18th overall in the 2023 NFL draft out of Iowa.
The team is also pursuing extensions for other members of its 2023 draft class, including tight end Sam LaPorta and defensive back Brian Branch.
→ Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes explains trading up for Michigan football’s Derrick Moore
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