The Detroit Lions just made their choice on two of their 2023 cornerstones, and it was anything but even. The team exercised the fifth-year option on running back Jahmyr Gibbs but declined the same option for linebacker Jack Campbell, a split decision that guarantees Gibbs an extra season while leaving Campbell’s pay and future to contract talks. Gibbs’ option converts to a fully guaranteed salary of roughly $14.3 million for 2027, while Campbell’s option would have carried a near-$22 million price tag. The moves reshape Detroit’s short-term cap picture and set the table for separate extension negotiations with two key recent picks.
Fox2 broadcaster Dan Miller first reported the team’s plan and ESPN insider Adam Schefter amplified the report via Lions sources, with ClickOnDetroit carrying the social confirmations, per The Washington Post.
Gibbs Locked In, What the Number Means
Gibbs’ fifth-year option is valued at about $14.293 million, a tier driven by his multiple Pro Bowl nods, according to Spotrac via Yahoo Sports. The 24-year-old surged into an every-down role in 2025, rushing for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 77 catches for 616 yards and five receiving scores, numbers compiled in season reviews. With veteran David Montgomery traded this offseason, the team officially handed Gibbs a larger offensive remit for the coming year.
Campbell’s Price Tag and the Path Forward
The Lions declined Campbell’s option because the fifth-year formula would have fully guaranteed roughly $21.925 million, a sum inflated for off-ball linebackers by how the position group is defined, as local coverage explains. Campbell, 25, arrived at first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after a 2025 season in which he led the club with 176 tackles while adding nine tackles for loss and five sacks. Detroit’s calculus appears aimed at keeping Campbell in the fold without locking the club to a single, expensive guaranteed season.
General manager Brad Holmes told reporters after the draft that the club had been in discussions with Campbell’s representatives and that Detroit still wants to work toward a long-term deal, comments noted by ClickOnDetroit. The organization also said it will press on with extension talks for other 2023 draftees, including tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch, as it balances immediate cap hits with multi-year planning.
What It Likely Means for Negotiations
Picking up Gibbs’ option buys the club a lower, fully guaranteed figure for one season and a clearer negotiating posture for a longer extension, while declining Campbell’s option forces a prompt reconvening at the bargaining table to craft a deal that spreads guarantees and cap hit. That sort of split, lock in a controllable figure for an offensive star and reshape a high positional payday into a negotiated extension, is a familiar front-office move as teams juggle talent and salary flexibility, analysts note. Sporting News explains how fifth-year tiers and Pro Bowl escalators drive those numbers and the leverage both sides will now bring to talks.
