Lions' Gibbs, Falcons' Robinson remain sidelined at training camp as contract talks continue

Audio By Carbonatix

Two of the NFL’s most productive running backs haven’t gotten off to the races quite yet at training camp.

The Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs and Atlanta Falcons' Bijan Robinson have been just mere spectators as they play their hands in an apparent contract "hold-in " as their teams get to work.

Lions coach Dan Campbell and Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski insist the focus remains on the active participants.

“My job is to coach who’s out there right now," Campbell said Thursday. “I love the kid, but man, I’ve got a team to coach right now.”

As for Stefanski’s outlook: “Just coach the football team. Understand there’s a business side to what we do.”

The first-year Falcons coach said he has had conversations with Robinson, but those will remain private.

“I don’t think it’s fair to share those types of things, and I think we all trust in the process, what’s going on," he said.

Both players have the resume for a hefty paycheck.

Robinson led the league with 2,298 yards from scrimmage last season. He rushed for 1,478 yards with seven touchdowns and set career highs with 79 receptions for 820 yards and four touchdowns, earning an AP All-Pro selection and his second Pro Bowl appearance.

New Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa put it most plainly on Friday: “We're waiting for Bijan to get paid.”

Gibbs, too, ranked in the top 10 with 1,228 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. After three years in the league, he's one of just four in league history to surpass 4,500 yards from scrimmage and score 45-plus touchdowns, and he's three-for-three in Pro Bowl selections.

A once underappreciated running back market has been reset as the Eagles awarded Saquon Barkley's Super Bowl run and Offensive Player of the Year campaign with a record-breaking two-year, $41 million extension ahead of last season.

Both Gibbs and Robinson are expected to seek similar figures, meaning there could be power — and a discount — in being the first team to cross the finish line.

Campbell figured the Lions would've done so already.

“I thought we’d have been done by now, but also, I know how this goes, man. I’ve been in this league a long time, player and a coach,” he said. "So I’m not even sweating it.”

A hold-in has proven a successful negotiation tactic before. Tagovailoa staged a hold-in of his own in 2024 while seeking an extension with the Miami Dolphins. The left-handed quarterback ended up with a four-year, $212 million extension, and despite being cut in March, is still owed $54 million in guaranteed money this year.

When asked for his advice for his new teammate, the quarterback emphasized that everyone's situation is different. Tagovailoa added that it's important to stay present with the team like Robinson has done in the early days of camp.

“Everyone's ordeal is different in a sense," Tagovailoa said. "That's a thing where you let the GM handle that. You let Bijan's agent handle that. Just allow Bijan to be around the guys, allow him to still be a part of the team while not being able to participate, which is understandable.”

James Cook shares a similar story, holding in at the start of last season before earning a four-year, $46 million extension with the Buffalo Bills.

“Go for it,” Cook encouraged Gibbs and Robinson from Buffalo. “Get your money.”

___

AP Sports Writers Larry Lage and John Wawrow contributed to this report.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL