Jack Campbell's contract details show cap benefits for Lions through 2028, while setting table for second extension in future
Allen Park — $16,464,491.
That’s how much cap space the Detroit Lions will save in 2027 after declining the fifth-year option on linebacker Jack Campbell’s rookie contract and signing him to a massive four-year extension a few weeks later.
And those “savings” extend into the 2028 season, when the Lions could certainly use them. That’s when the back-end figures on previous extensions for Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and to a lesser extent, Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams swell.
That’s not to say Campbell took a discount, although you can argue he and his representation could have tried to squeeze the Lions for a few extra million beyond the four-year, $81 million pact he signed. By annual average value, it inched past Roquan Smith for the second biggest figure for a linebacker all-time, but that’s less impressive when we consider the Ravens linebacker signed his deal three years ago and the cap has swelled since.
Of course, no one really expected Campbell to play hardball to that degree. He’s not the type to bend the organization over a barrel for every possible dollar. Plus, it’s not like $81 million isn’t enough to afford every piece of hunting and fishing gear he could dream up.
Campbell is set to meet with local media Wednesday afternoon. Before he does, let’s take a look at the full details of the contract, understanding exactly how it was structured to help the Lions in the immediate future, while setting up the sides to come together on a second extension a few years down the road.