With leverage from his fifth-year option, here's what a massive Jack Campbell extension could look like for Lions
Allen Park — Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t the team’s only player in line for a top-of-the-market extension this offseason. If anything, linebacker Jack Campbell has even more leverage in negotiations for his next deal.
The argument is rooted in the fifth-year option of Campbell’s rookie contract, which the Lions are certain to exercise if the sides don’t work out an extension ahead of the May 1 deadline.
If no qualifiers are met, the fifth-year option for first-round picks is the average salary of the 3rd-25th highest-paid players at the position. However, there are escalators tied to playing time and Pro Bowl selections. Because Campbell was selected to one Pro Bowl, his fifth-year option is worth the same as the transition tag at his position, or the average salary of the top-10 linebackers.
But there’s a catch, since some high-cost edge rushers, such as Green Bay’s Micah Parsons, are classified as linebackers. That means Campbell’s fifth-year option salary of $21.925 million would exceed the highest average figure of any off-ball linebacker in the league. That list is currently topped by Fred Warner, who signed a three-year, $63 million deal to remain in San Francisco this offseason.
So, yes, Campbell has all the leverage. And it should go without saying that the Lions want to retain him long-term, so if they want to keep his cap hit manageable in 2027, with a standard backloaded deal, working out an extension is mission-critical.
So, what will a long-term contract for Campbell likely look like?