Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs not participating in practice as they seek market-changing new contracts
The NFL's most tenuous record might be held by Saquon Barkley.
Barkley is currently the highest paid running back in NFL history, in terms of annual value on his contract. Barkley makes $20.6 million per season.
That will change. The only question is how quickly he'll be surpassed.
The two top running backs in the NFL — or at least the top two picks in just about every fantasy draft this year — are sitting out of training camp practices awaiting new deals. Jahmyr Gibbs was not present at the start of Lions practice on Wednesday, according to the Detroit News. Bijan Robinson wasn't participating in Falcons practice, according to The Athletic.
Both stars are looking for new deals. If they're both starting hold-ins, their teams better prepare to get their checkbooks out. It's going to get expensive.
The value of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs
In the 2023 NFL Draft, Robinson was picked eighth and Gibbs went 12th. Both have turned into fantastic players. And, after three seasons, they're ready for the all-important second contract.
Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage last season, which was a Falcons record. Gibbs had 1,839 total yards and 18 touchdowns, a year after putting up 1,929 yards and a league-best 20 touchdowns. They're both ideal modern backs who can hit big plays in the running game and also are high-level contributors as receivers.
Both teams are going to rely on their star backs heavily. The Falcons and Lions are both top heavy on offense and most of it will funnel through the running back. The Lions just traded David Montgomery, who was a key piece of the running game, and that puts more work on Gibbs' plate.
Robinson and Gibbs both understand they're about to get a workload that will put them near or at the top of the NFL. That's dangerous for running backs. Both of them have leverage, as the fulcrum of their team's offense, and both want to get the top-of-the-market deals they've earned.
Both backs will reset the market
Barkley is the highest paid running back at a little more than $20 million per season, Christian McCaffrey is paid $19 million per season and no other running back is above $16 million per season.
Robinson and Gibbs will likely completely reset the market at the position. Asking for $25 million per season when good but not great receivers are far exceeding that isn't outlandish. Detroit has some huge deals on its books but is in a surprisingly good cap situation. Atlanta has the second-most projected cap space for the 2027 season, according to Spotrac, mostly because it's not paying much to its quarterbacks. Both teams can afford to pay their star backs. It's just finding a figure for both that makes sense for each side. It also makes sense for both teams to get a deal done sooner rather than later, because players who miss time during camp due to contract disputes seem to be more susceptible to injuries once the season starts.
The first to sign will likely blow away Barkley's record deal. The next one to sign might break that record by a bit. Both backs have earned the deals through their play. Now they want to get paid.
