Episode
Daily DLP: Lions Contract Ranks and Winning Windows - Detroit Lions Podcast
- Podcast
- The Detroit Lions Podcast
- Published
- May 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2012
- Processing state
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- https://traffic.megaphone.fm/TTEOS5006707266.mp3
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Summary
Why the Fifth-Year Option Never Made Sense The Detroit Lions made Jack Campbell the NFL’s second highest paid linebacker. The number is big, and the reasoning is clear. Off-ball linebackers are grouped with pass-rush linebackers for option calculations. That bucket includes names like Micah Parsons. Even Miles Garrett falls into that label in the accounting. Aidan Hutchinson could be listed there, too. Because Campbell earned first team All-Pro, the fifth-year option would have escalated beyond his annual number. The option math was upside down. So the Lions acted early and got cost certainty. The same structure exists for other young Lions. Jahmir Gibbs had a smaller escalator tied to Pro Bowls. This is how the NFL and NFLPA built the system. It rewards production, but it can spike costs at certain positions. Inside the Deal and the Market Campbell’s contract lands at $81,000,000 total value and $20,250,000 per year. Only Roquan Smith tops him in total dollars. Only Fred Warner makes more per year at $21,000,000. Average per year is the clean measuring stick. Total value often carries fluff. Teams use mechanisms like void years, and the back end can be soft. The Detroit Lions Podcast spelled out why this price point isn’t out of bounds. It is pushing the market, not breaking it. He is young, coming off his first contract, and already an All-Pro. Someone else will leapfrog him soon. That is how the market works. What Campbell Puts on Tape Campbell’s tape backs the investment. He forces fumbles by punching the ball out. Officials explained why some of those attempts will now be penalties, and he had a couple misses. The core skill still matters. He arrives on balance. He squares up. He finishes. You rarely see a bad snap. The only consistent nit is occasional coverage w…