What Was Happening
Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs both reported to their teams' training camps this summer but weren't practicing — a "hold-in" rather than a holdout, since neither stayed away from the building. Both entered the final two years of their rookie deals after Atlanta and Detroit exercised their fifth-year options, and both were seeking extensions that would make them among the league's highest-paid backs. Neither side signaled urgency to blink first: whichever player signed first would effectively set the price for the other.
The stakes were real money. Saquon Barkley's deal with the Eagles had set the running back ceiling at roughly $20.6 million a year. Robinson's projected market value sat around $18.87 million annually on a three-year deal, which would make him the league's third-highest-paid back behind Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. Gibbs was believed to be seeking a deal north of $20 million a season himself.
Two Backs, Two Very Different Combine Profiles
What makes the Robinson-Gibbs pairing interesting from an athletic standpoint is how differently they tested coming out in 2023 — and how closely that gap has tracked their styles on the field ever since.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Measurable | Bijan Robinson | Jahmyr Gibbs |
|---|---|---|
| Height / Weight | 5'11", 215 lbs | 5'9", 199 lbs |
| 40-Yard Dash | 4.46s | 4.36s |
| Vertical Jump | 37" | 33.5" |
| Broad Jump | 10'4" | — |
| 10-Yard Split | 1.52s | 1.52s |
Robinson tested as the bigger, more explosive jumper — a 37-inch vertical and a 10-foot-4 broad jump at 215 pounds are legitimately elite numbers for a back his size, and they match how he plays: powerful, contact-balanced, and just as comfortable between the tackles as outside. Gibbs, 16 pounds lighter, tested as the straight-line burner, and that shows up on tape as a home-run threat who can turn a five-yard checkdown into a touchdown from anywhere on the field.
Both profiles translated. Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 all-purpose yards in the 2025 season. Gibbs entered 2026 fantasy conversations as a legitimate case for the first overall pick in redraft leagues. Different combine profiles, same conclusion: both are among the two or three best running backs alive right now.
How It Resolved
Robinson signed first: a three-year extension worth up to $75 million with the Falcons, making him the NFL's highest-paid running back at $22.25 million per year. Read the full breakdown of that deal in our Bijan Robinson extension coverage. That deal now sets the number Gibbs and the Lions are working against, along with Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who was also reportedly eyeing an extension of his own.