Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs Stage Dual Hold-Ins as RB Market Reset Looms
Two of the NFL's most electric running backs showed up to camp but stayed off the field, betting that the post-Barkley market finally pays their position what it produces.
Training camps are barely a week old and the NFL already has its defining contract standoff — times two. Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions both attended practice on July 29 but declined to participate, staging simultaneous "hold-ins" while they pursue long-term extensions, according to CBS Sports and ESPN.
Both backs were top-12 picks in the 2023 draft, and both teams have exercised their fifth-year options, leaving two years of club control. That's exactly the leverage problem: per CBS Sports, Robinson currently ranks just 27th among running backs in total salary, and Gibbs 31st — numbers wildly out of line with their production and workload.
The market they're aiming at
The running back market has thawed dramatically since Saquon Barkley became the first back to average over $20 million per year on his Philadelphia extension. Seven running backs now average at least $14 million annually.
Spotrac's projections, cited by CBS Sports, put Robinson in line for roughly three years, $56.5 million (about $18.9M per year) and Gibbs even higher at three years, $60.5 million (about $20.6M per year) — which would slot Gibbs second only to Barkley among all backs. Some analysts argue Robinson could push past $20 million annually.
Neither team is showing alarm publicly. "This will kind of continue... both sides working through something and we'll take it as it comes," Lions coach Dan Campbell said of the Gibbs talks.
Why it matters
Hold-ins — reporting to camp to avoid fines while sitting out practice — have become the standard pressure tactic for stars with years left on their deals, and they usually work. Reporting so far suggests both situations are expected to resolve before the season. But the outcome will set the ceiling of the running back market for years: if both land near their projections, the position group that spent a decade being devalued will suddenly have three backs at or near $20 million a year.