Bijan Robinson’s time as the highest paid running back in National Football League history was short lived. In fact, it was only 48 hours. That is because on Thursday, the Detroit Lions named Jahmyr Gibbs of Dalton, Georgia the highest paid running back in NFL history.
Gibbs has signed a three-year contract extension worth $67.25 million according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. This means that Gibbs will be making $22.4 million per year. That is $150,000 more than what Robinson will be making, as the Atlanta Falcons running back is set to make $22.25 million per year.
One must ask if Gibbs is worth the amount? Remember, he was the lead running back on a Lions team that missed the playoffs last season. Gibbs was also not very good in the last third of the season, as he only averaged 45.3 rushing yards per game. Gibbs’s worst game saw him only have two rushing yards in a 29-24 Detroit loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 21.
Gibbs will not be teaming up with running back David Montgomery of Cincinnati, Ohio this season. That is because Montgomery is now with the Houston Texans.
In 2025, Gibbs had 1223 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, along with 77 catches for 616 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. Gibbs’s ability to catch footballs regularly is what makes him elite as a running back. Gibbs’s most electrifying game came on November 23 in a 34-27 Lions overtime win over the New York Giants, as he had 264 yards from scrimmage, the third most in a single Lions game ever.
