Jahmyr Gibbs just set a new benchmark for NFL running backs, signing a 3-year, $67.5 million extension this month that makes him the highest-paid player at his position in league history. The deal averages $22.5 million per year and marks the third running back contract of the summer to reach at least $22 million annually.
The timing matters because it comes in a league that has spent decades paying running backs less than players at other skill positions, even when their production has been comparable. Gibbs' extension does not change that overall reality, but it does push the top of the market higher and gives teams another reference point when negotiating with elite backs.
What Gibbs said about running back value
Gibbs, who has become one of the NFL's most productive young backs, said he does not believe running back pay should be based strictly on position. Instead, he said it should come down to value to the team.
“I don't think it should be like a positional thing,” Gibbs said. “I think it should be like worth. What's your value to that team? That's how I think it should go.”
He also acknowledged the reality that running back careers are often shorter than those at other positions, saying that the lifespan at the position is usually three or four years. Even so, he pointed out that elite running backs still tend to be paid less than comparable players elsewhere on the roster, despite doing a lot for a team.
How the new deal fits the broader market
Brad Holmes said the market analysis side has become a major factor in contract talks, and that the recent deals for Gibbs, Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor are moving the position upward.
“With these new contracts with Jahmyr, Bijan and Jonathan Taylor, they're starting to creep up there. They're not there yet,” Holmes said.
That is the key point for teams and agents alike. Gibbs' extension is historic for running backs, but it still sits within a structure that shows how far the position has fallen behind quarterbacks, receivers and other top-end skill players. For Detroit, the deal reflects the value Gibbs brings to the offense. For the rest of the league, it becomes another data point in a market that is rising, but still not close to the highest-paid tiers in the NFL.
Gibbs' production helps explain why this contract got done. He has shown the kind of all-around impact that can make a team rethink where the ceiling should be for the position. And while the NFL has made clear for years that it views running back differently, Gibbs' deal suggests the best players at the position can still force the market forward, even if only gradually.
