Jahmyr Gibbs Holds Out at Lions Camp as Williams Pushes Top-RB Pay
Gibbs is at camp but not practicing while he negotiates. After 367 PPR points in 2025, his teammate says nobody's close.
Elite RB1 who's at camp — a deal ends this fast.
- Gibbs at camp but not practicing amid talks
- 1,223 rush yds, 13 rush TD in 2025
- 77 catches, 616 yds, 5 rec TD in 2025
- 367 PPR points last season (2025)
- Our RB3, overall #5 heading into 2026
Jahmyr Gibbs is a fixture at Lions training camp right now — he's just not putting on pads. Detroit's dynamic back is on-site but sitting out practice while he negotiates a new deal, and teammate Jameson Williams isn't shy about where that contract should land: at the very top of the running back market.
Williams called Gibbs the best of the best and said there's no question he deserves to be the NFL's highest-paid back. He described Gibbs as game-changing the moment he touches the field, the kind of player who breaks the line of scrimmage and turns it into a 70-yard house call. Given the production, it's hard to argue. Gibbs put up 367 PPR points across 17 games in 2025, stacking 1,223 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on top of 77 catches for 616 yards and five more scores.
That's the profile of a true dual-threat weapon, and it's exactly why our model has Gibbs sitting at RB3 and #5 overall entering 2026. Backs who eat in both phases don't come with expiration dates the way pure grinders do, and Gibbs is only scratching the surface of his workload ceiling.
Why the Holdout Doesn't Scare Us
Here's the reassuring part for managers who spent an early pick on him: Gibbs is physically present at camp. Players who are actively negotiating and showing up almost always beat the deadline and are on the field Week 1. This isn't a bitter, absent standoff — it's a business step for a player everyone in the building clearly wants back. Williams made a point of saying he's excited to see his teammate get something done so he can return to the field.
The only mild yellow flag in the underlying data is Gibbs' late-season form: he finished 2025 averaging 2.3 fantasy points below his season mark over his final five games. That's noise, not a trend — a top-five back doesn't tumble over a five-game blip, especially one tied to game scripts.
The Fantasy Verdict
Hold, and hold firmly. If you drafted Gibbs as an RB1, nothing here changes his value — this is a contract formality, not an injury or a benching. Don't panic-sell him at a discount to a nervous leaguemate, and if someone in your league is spooked by the holdout headlines, this is a fine window to buy. Gibbs is an every-week RB1 the second the ink dries, and by every indication, that's coming soon.
