Robinson and Gibbs Hold Out From Training Camp in Contract Standoff
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs are absent from the first day of training camp, holding out while seeking long-term contract extensions. Both Pro Bowl backs are expected to reset the running back market.
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs did not participate Wednesday in their respective teams' first training camp practices, holding out while seeking new long-term contracts, according to ESPN's reporting. Both players have had offseason conversations with their teams about extensions and are expected to reset the running back market with their deals.
Robinson was selected to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons and earned first-team All-Pro honors last season when he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,478 and scrimmage yards with 2,298, a Falcons franchise record. Since being drafted No. 8 overall by Atlanta in 2023, Robinson has compiled 5,648 all-purpose yards and 34 total touchdowns in his first three seasons.
Gibbs, picked No. 12 by Detroit in 2023, has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. He has 5,029 yards from scrimmage and 49 total touchdowns in that span and is viewed as one of the league's most electrifying players because of his speed combined with his dual-threat ability as both a runner and receiver.
Both the Lions and Falcons exercised the fifth-year options on their respective players' rookie contracts, putting both under contract through 2027. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles is currently the NFL's highest-paid running back with an annual average of $20.6 million, per ESPN.
Lions coach Dan Campbell addressed the situation Wednesday, saying: "It'll come as it comes. I think that's the best way to say it. This is both sides working through something and we'll take it as it comes, but that's where it is," according to ESPN.
Two elite running backs are holding out from camp in a contract standoff, with both expected to reset the position's salary floor above Saquon Barkley's current $20.6 million AAV.
Two of the league's most productive backs are testing the market at the start of camp, signaling a willingness to miss practice time in pursuit of deals. Watch whether either player reports before the preseason begins and track how quickly negotiations move, as their outcomes will likely anchor contract discussions for other elite backs across the league.
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