The Detroit Lions have locked in running back Jahmyr Gibbs for the long term, the football team
announced on Friday.
Gibbs began his career as one half of the "Sonic and Knuckles" backfield tandem with David Montgomery but has developed into a complete back and one of the league's top players at the position.
According to Spotrac, the deal—which does not take effect until 2028—is three years, $67.5 million, with a total value of $75.75 million and $51.48 million guaranteed. It is the largest contract in the NFL in terms of both total value and average annual salary, slightly above the contract signed by Atlanta Falcons RB
Bijan Robinson on Wednesday.
At a
press conference after signing the contract on Friday, Gibbs expressed his gratitude for being able to stay in the city.
"Since I've been here, all I can say is positive things," he said. "The people, there's a lot of good food here, the culture. I love being here. So, I'm glad I get to be here for the next five years and [I'm] extremely blessed."
He also tipped his hat to his family, teammates, coaches, general manager Brad Holmes, and owner Sheila Ford Hamp.
2 Top Prospects
Gibbs and Robinson—who have known each other since their high school days, when both were top prospects—found themselves in similar situations during training camp. Both backs had their teams exercise their fifth-year contract options, and both staged hold-ins while negotiating their deals. Robinson said at his presser on Tuesday that he struggled with not practicing, while Gibbs said the same thing Friday."This process was extremely stressful because I just wanted to play ball," he said. "I missed being out there with my teammates and the coaches, and it's just fun being out there now with my pads and stuff on. [It] just feels a lot better."
Gibbs's teammates shared their support on social media, including Montgomery, who is now with the Houston Texans, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, former backups Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and retired center Frank Ragnow.
Gibbs said Friday that Montgomery had reached out to him personally as well.
"D-Mo hit me up too, of course," he said. "He texted me, [told] me he was proud of me and he loved me and all that. We communicate a lot. We're all in a group chat. Me, him, Saint [St. Brown], Craig, Jermar, and [former teammate] Zonovan [Knight]."
'Sonic and Knuckles'
The Lions drafted
Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They paired his speed with free agent acquisition David Montgomery’s strength and contact balance. The backfield tandem quickly earned the nickname “Sonic and Knuckles” after the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise.
Montgomery was the lead back throughout the season; Gibbs started three games when he went down with an injury. In 15 games, Gibbs carried the ball 182 times for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns, and added 52 catches for 316 and a touchdown.
Gibbs and Montgomery split time more evenly in 2024. When Montgomery went down again with an MCL injury, Gibbs started the final three games of the season and had 100 yards in each. In the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings, he rushed 23 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns, and added five catches for 31 yards and a score. He finished the season with 250 carries for 1,412 yards and a league-leading 16 TDs; he added 52 receptions for 517 yards and four receiving scores.
Gibbs became the full-time starter in 2025 and saw his role expand, especially in the Lions’ air attack. He rushed 243 times for 1,223 yards and 13 scores: he had career highs in all the receiving categories with 77 catches for 616 yards and five touchdowns. He had two games with more than 200 scrimmage yards, a 200-yard rushing performance, and two games with three total touchdowns.
