All 32 NFL teams fully opened training camp on Tuesday, July 28, and many teams held their first open practice on Wednesday, July 29. With the public getting a look at teams for the first time ahead of the 2026 regular season, that meant inevitable NFL news would come our way.
Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, two of the league’s top running backs, were absent from Wednesday’s practice. Each running back is entering their fourth season and final year of rookie contracts. Contract extensions have been a topic of conversation ahead of the regular season, sparking holdout rumors.
Extended absences from Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs would surely make notable impacts, especially on upcoming fantasy football drafts. Let’s look at the latest NFL news surrounding Robinson and Gibbs and how each player could shift fantasy football rankings.
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Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs Absent From Practice
On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Falcons RB Bijan Robinson and Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs were not practicing alongside conversations of potential long-term contracts.
Each tailback is entering their fourth NFL campaign, meaning they are on the final year of a four-year rookie contract. With that said, each running back is likely chasing a big payday, leading to Wednesday’s absence.
Both players are former top 12 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. In the modern era, where teams rarely spend high draft capital on running backs, Robinson and Gibbs have done nothing but meet expectations.
In fact, Robinson posted career-best marks with 1,478 rushing yards, 820 receiving yards, and 5.1 yards per carry last season. Alongside Bijan Robinson's hair that's going viral for the upcoming season, he could become the league's top back in 2026.
Gibbs became the Lions’ clear feature back, as he started in all 17 regular-season games compared to 3 and 4 over his first two seasons. Furthermore, Gibbs totaled a career-high 320 touches, including 243 carries and 77 receptions.
According to PlayerProfiler, Robinson posted 4.80 yards created per touch (second), while Gibbs racked up 3.78 yards created per touch last season (eighth).
Each player is certainly tied to their team’s success in the 2026 season. The Falcons have a 1.61x payout to reach 7+ wins and a 2.12x payout to total 8+ wins in the regular season on PrizePicks Team Picks. Meanwhile, the Lions have a 1.44x payout for 10+ wins and a 1.81x payout for 11+ wins.
As two of the league’s top running backs with true three-down skillsets, Robinson and Gibbs could reset the tailback market this summer.
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New Contracts Ahead for Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs?
We’ve seen this story time and time again — players enter the final year of their rookie contract and pursue a long-term extension ahead of the regular season.
For example, Bills RB James Cook was in a similar situation last year, sitting out of practice ahead of his fourth season before receiving a four-year, $48 million extension. The Dolphins were ahead of the curve by awarding RB De’Von Achane with a four-year, $64 million extension in May, as he enters his fourth campaign in 2026.
Falcons and Lions fans shouldn’t hit the panic button quite yet, as James Cook was absent from practice for only about two weeks before he signed an extension. Atlanta opens the regular season on September 13 vs. the Steelers, and Detroit kicks off 2026 vs. the Saints on September 13.
Both franchises have plenty of time to reach an agreement, though Robinson and Gibbs will likely bring more challenging conversations compared to recent examples of James Cook and De’Von Achane.
We just saw a 28-year-old Saquon Barkley receive about $20.6 million annually from the Eagles in 2025. Surely, Robinson and Gibbs, who are each 24 years old, will fetch a higher price than Saquon.
In March, Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac cited an annual $19 million valuation for Robinson in Spotrac’s model, paired with a three-year, $61 million modeled extension for Gibbs. However, we’ve since seen Achane snag $16 million annually, potentially meaning larger numbers for both running backs.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke on potential updates surrounding Gibbs’ absence.
For now, all we can do is wait for news of an extension for Robinson and/or Gibbs. However, fantasy football managers will likely get more and more antsy as the absences linger.
The fantasy season starts now, with millions of users drafting over the coming weeks. How are the absences of Robinson and Gibbs impacting fantasy football rankings and drafts?
Fantasy Football Rankings Impact
According to FantasyPros, Robinson (RB1) and Gibbs (RB2) are still the top running backs in fantasy football rankings for PPR (point per reception) leagues.
However, Robinson (RB2) and Gibbs (RB3) fell behind 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey in rankings last season. McCaffrey’s 24.5 fantasy points per game finished first by a solid margin, surpassing Robinson’s 21.8 and Gibbs’ 21.6.
With that said, as each running back’s absence continues, this could lead to more attention shifting to McCaffrey. FantasyPros currently ranks CMC as RB3 and eight overall for PPR leagues.
PrizePicks is offering More or Less on season-long stat projections for the upcoming 2026 NFL regular season. Robinson and Gibbs sitting out of Wednesday’s practice has yet to impact those projections, as Robinson has 1,174.5 projected rushing yards, while Gibbs holds 1,199.5 rushing yards for the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, McCaffrey is projected to have 924.5 rushing yards for the 2026 regular season.
The fantasy football rankings have yet to shift with the top two running backs on the board out from Wednesday’s practice. But if Robinson and Gibbs continue to miss time, perhaps fantasy managers will turn to CMC following his elite 2025 campaign.
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Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were out for the Falcons and Lions’ first open practice on Wednesday. Each superstar running back is pursuing a new contract ahead of the 2026 regular season, but it’s not time to hit the panic button with each tailback holding true in fantasy football rankings.
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