The running back position has always been severely underpaid. Heading into the offseason, the highest-paid running back in the NFL was Saquon Barkley, who was making $20 million a year. For reference, that’s the same amount of money that Jakobi Meyers, the 25th-highest-paid receiver, makes.

However, as running backs become more important in NFL offenses, we’re starting to see more guys get big paydays. And with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, two of the NFL’s best backs, due for second contracts, it was time for the market to reset

We often see a player awaiting a new extension hold out of training camp until they can get a new deal done. That was the case with Robinson, who attended practice but didn’t participate until he signed his new deal a couple of days ago.

Jahmyr Gibbs, who was also awaiting his new deal, had also been sitting out of training camp. But on Thursday, he finally returned to the field.

After practice, Gibbs was made available to the media. And when they asked him whether he and the Detroit Lions were nearing a new deal, he just gave a thumbs up, signaling that he should be getting paid sooner rather than later. And just a few hours later, the news came in.

If it wasn’t for Robinson, Gibbs might still be waiting to get paid. So how much did Gibbs get? And how did Robinson set the stage for his deal? Let’s talk about it.

Bijan Robinson’s Payday Set the Stage For Jahmyr Gibbs

The Atlanta Falcons made Bijan Robinson the highest-paid running back in NFL history, signing him to a three-year deal worth $66,750,000.

This contract was historic for many reasons. At the time, Robinson’s $22.25 million per year was $2.25 million more per year than any other active running back. It was also the highest total value for a running back contract in NFL history. And on top of that, Robinson’s $51 million in guarantees was the second-most in the league, trailing only Jeremiyah Love, whose rookie deal is fully guaranteed. If you take Love’s rookie deal out of the equation, his guarantees were $15 million more than any other running back in the league.

You already know that when Gibbs and his agent saw this deal, they were licking their chops, because Robinson set a precedent for running backs to get over $20 million a season and over $50 million guaranteed. And that’s exactly what Gibbs got.

How Much Did Gibbs Get?

The Detroit Lions gave Gibbs a three-year deal worth $67.5 million, or $22.5 million per season, just edging out Robinson for the biggest running back contract in NFL history, but $250,000 per year. His $51.5 million in guarantees also beat out Robinson by $500,000, and his $75.75 million max value is $750,000 more than Robinson.

Needless to say, the Lions and Falcons view these two as equals. But to gauge how valuable both of these guys are to their respective teams, let’s look at their career stats to this point.

While Robinson has 330 more rushing yards, he’s also done it on 130 more carries. He also has nearly 300 more receiving yards, but 17 more receptions and 15 fewer total touchdowns than Gibbs. Detroit’s offense has been better than Atlanta’s, though, so I think it’s fair to say that these two guys are pretty even.

But when one guy gets paid, the next guy is always going to get paid more. It’s just how the league works. Robinson set the market, and Gibbs made sure to one-up him by less than a million dollars in every major category. Having the title of the highest-paid running back would be nice, but I’m sure Robinson isn’t sweating it too much. And if he is, he’s wiping it up with $100 bills.