Brad Holmes Just Made Jack Campbell the Highest-Paid Off-Ball Linebacker in the NFL
Remember when the Lions took Jack Campbell with the 18th pick back in 2023 and half the internet lost its collective mind? You would have thought Brad Holmes personally drove to your house and kicked your dog. An off-ball linebacker in the first round? In this economy?
Well, here we are a few years later and Campbell just signed a four-year extension worth $81 million with $55 million guaranteed. That’s $20.25 million per year for those keeping score at home. And you know what? Every penny of it is deserved.
Campbell made the Pro Bowl and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025. At 25 years old. The kid has been everything Holmes saw in him and then some.
The Fifth-Year Option Dance Was Actually Brilliant
Some of you probably panicked when the Lions didn’t pick up Campbell’s fifth-year option. Hell, fans of other teams started salivating about potential trades. But that was never happening.
Here’s the thing about that fifth-year option. Because Campbell made the Pro Bowl, it jumped from $16 million to almost $23 million. All guaranteed. That would have been a massive cap hit in 2027.
Instead, Holmes and Mike Disner structured this deal to give the Lions flexibility. They can stay active in free agency in 2027 while having their franchise linebacker locked up through the end of the decade.
This Contract Sets Up Everything
The beauty of this deal isn’t just keeping Campbell in Honolulu Blue. It’s how it positions the Lions moving forward. They’ve got cap flexibility to make moves, room to restructure in 2028, and a contract that’s probably extension-friendly when the time comes.
Campbell might be locked up until 2030 on paper, but don’t be surprised if this thing gets extended even further down the road. That’s the kind of problem you want to have with a 25-year-old All-Pro linebacker.
Brad Holmes continues to show why he’s the best general manager this franchise has ever had. Not even close.
Still think taking Campbell in the first round was a reach, or are you ready to admit Holmes saw something the rest of us missed? Let me know in the comments.
This is what having a real GM looks like. Holmes saw the blueprint and everyone else was too busy being fixated on the old way of doing things. Campbell is the heartbeat of this defense and locking him up long term with flexibility is exactly the move that wins championships.
Look I’ll give Holmes credit here, the deal structure is smart and Campbell clearly has developed into something special. But let’s pump the brakes on calling this the greatest move ever until we see what happens when the cap bill really comes due. Hope it works out though.
I’ve been watching this team through thick and thin and I gotta say, the way Holmes handles his contracts and builds the roster is night and day compared to what we used to put up with. Rewarding a young guy who actually produces at an elite level instead of overpaying for name value? That’s the difference between then and now.