Story perspectives

Lions Exercise Gibbs’ $14.3M Option, Decline Campbell’s

4/30/2026

Summary

Lions Exercise Option

Detroit Lions exercised running back Jahmyr Gibbs’s fifth-year option, guaranteeing $14.29 million for 2027, as reported April 28-29 2026.
The team declined linebacker Jack Campbell’s $21.925 million option.
Gibbs, the 12th-overall 2023 pick, has 5,029 scrimmage yards and 49 touchdowns.
Campbell, the 18th-overall 2023 pick, posted 176 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles in 2025.
The Lions will seek a long-term deal with Campbell and extensions for Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch.

Summary

Teams Decide Options

The deadline to exercise fifth-year options on 2023 first-round picks is Friday, May 1.
Fifth-year salaries fall into four tiers—more than one Pro Bowl, one Pro Bowl, playtime and basic—and become guaranteed once exercised.
The Carolina Panthers locked in Bryce Young’s $25.9 million option, the Seattle Seahawks secured Devon Witherspoon’s $21.2 million option, the Detroit Lions declined Jack Campbell’s $21.9 million option as overpriced, while teams often use the guaranteed year to negotiate extensions.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the NFL-NFLPA CBA introduced a fifth-year option for first-round picks, with the average top-ten salary about $2.5 million. The Detroit Lions used that leverage in 2024 to exercise Jahmyr Gibbs’s $14.29 million option and decline Jack Campbell’s $21.9 million offer. The same tiered option now shapes contract tactics for teams such as the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks.

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Lions Exercise Option

Detroit Lions exercised running back Jahmyr Gibbs’s fifth-year option, guaranteeing $14.29 million for 2027, as reported April 28-29 2026.
The team declined linebacker Jack Campbell’s $21.925 million option.
Gibbs, the 12th-overall 2023 pick, has 5,029 scrimmage yards and 49 touchdowns.
Campbell, the 18th-overall 2023 pick, posted 176 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles in 2025.
The Lions will seek a long-term deal with Campbell and extensions for Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch.

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