Dan Campbell Isn’t Sweating the Jahmyr Gibbs Contract Situation
Training camp opened this week and one of the best running backs in the NFL was not on the practice field. Jahmyr Gibbs was absent when the Detroit Lions officially got their training camp underway on Wednesday, and now everyone is wondering what is happening between Gibbs and the Lions.
But here’s the thing. Dan Campbell doesn’t sound worried.
When asked about Gibbs’ absence on Thursday morning, Campbell kept it short and clear. He loves the kid. The team loves the kid. And whatever this is, it’s going to get worked out. “At some point here, it’ll get done,” Campbell said. “I’m not even sweating.”
He said that twice, actually. Not sweating it. That’s the kind of confident calm you get from a head coach who trusts his front office and knows the difference between noise and real problems. This is noise.
Campbell Expected This to Be Done Already
Here’s the interesting part. Campbell admitted he thought a deal would’ve been done by now. “Honestly, I didn’t think twice about it,” he said. “I thought we’d have been done by now.”
That tells you two things. One, the Lions clearly want to get this done and probably thought they were closer than they are. Two, something is slowing this down, and it’s probably not stubbornness on Brad Holmes’ end.
The complication? Bijan Robinson in Atlanta is also chasing an extension. Both Gibbs and Robinson want to reset the running back market and become the highest paid at the position. Whoever signs first sets the price for the other. That creates a standoff nobody really wants but everyone understands.
Brad Holmes Will Get This Right
This is where you trust the process. Brad Holmes has earned that. He drafted Gibbs. He built this roster. He has navigated contract extensions, free agency, and the salary cap better than any general manager this franchise has ever had, and that is not up for debate.
Will Gibbs get paid? Absolutely. Should he? Yes. Is there risk in making a running back one of the highest paid players at his position? Of course. But Holmes knows that. He also knows what Gibbs means to this offense, to this locker room, and to the identity Campbell has built in Allen Park.
The deal will get done. It might take longer than anyone wanted. It might cost more than some fans think is smart. But it will get done, and when it does, you move on and get back to work.
This Isn’t a Crisis
Campbell is coaching the guys who showed up. That’s his job. Gibbs will be back when the contract is signed. That’s how this works. This franchise has seen real dysfunction, real chaos, real organizational malpractice. This is not that.
This is a good player wanting to get paid what he’s worth and a good front office working to make the numbers fit. It’s business. It’s boring. And honestly, after decades of watching this team implode over far dumber things, boring is a hell of a relief.
So do you trust Holmes and Campbell to get the Gibbs extension done without screwing up the cap, or are you already spiraling? Sound off below.
