Gibbs Back on the Field, and a Deal May Be Close Behind

Jahmyr Gibbs returned to practice Thursday, and per The Athletic's Jonathan Jones, his contract extension could get done this week. Three days ago he was telling reporters "only time will tell" when he'd be back. The shift in tone is notable.

Dan Campbell had already said Bijan Robinson's new deal with Atlanta couldn't hurt the Gibbs negotiations — a market-setter arriving at the right moment. The Lions clearly want this resolved before the preseason gets any further along. Gibbs ran for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, and with Sione Vaki already lost to a training camp injury, Detroit's backfield depth is thin enough that a prolonged hold-in was becoming a real problem.

The broader picture here is that the last 48 hours have looked a little more like resolution than crisis. Tyler Conklin passed his physical and is expected off the PUP list. Brian Branch has shown optimism for a training camp return. And now Gibbs is practicing. None of these are finished business, but the trajectory has shifted.

The secondary and the offensive line still have real problems that a Gibbs extension doesn't touch. But getting your best offensive weapon back on the field and close to signed is a reasonable place to start.