The Detroit Lions continued their approach of retaining young talent by signing running back Jahmyr Gibbs to a record extension ahead of the 2026 season.Gibbs has done plenty to earn the deal, such as back-to-back seasons over 1,000 yards and breaking Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders record for touchdowns by a player before turning 24. As a result, the Lions got the deal done and are committed to Gibbs for the next three years.The running back's new contract is worth $67.5 million over three years, giving Gibbs $22.5 million in average annual value which is the highest in NFL history for a running back. He surpassed Bijan Robinson, who will earn an AAV of $22.25 million as part of the extension he signed earlier this week.At signing, Gibbs will have $37.7 million guaranteed. This accounts for his salary in both 2026 and 2027, along with his full signing bonus and $8.25 million of his 2028 salary. His contract could max out at $75.75 million if he meets all of his incentive goals.On Friday, the details of Gibbs' contract were filed, and as a result a more clear picture of the financial impact of how it impacts the Lions has come into view. Originally Gibbs was set to have a cap hit of $5.7 million in 2026, with the fifth-year option in 2027 has a cap hit of $14.3 million.Here's a breakdown of Gibbs' new contract, courtesy of Spotrac, and how the structure of it can help the Lions.Salary and bonus breakdownsThe biggest addition to Gibbs' new contract is a prorated $15 million signing bonus, which is spread out over this year, next and the three years on his extension. As a result, his cap hit will go from $5.7 million to $8.7 million this season.A change has been made to next year, as the extension has altered his cap hit. Instead of the $14.3 million he was originally owed, his cap hit will be $6.266 million. This cap hit is made up of a minimum base salary of $1.26 million, the $3 million of his prorated signing bonus and the start of a option bonus prorated annually at $2,006,600.This is a big advantage for the Lions, as they have created some cap space that could theoretically be used for extensions for Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch.Both LaPorta and Branch are members of the same draft class as Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, however as second-round picks the Lions do not have the benefit of the fifth-year option to retain those two players for an extra year.The 2028 season is when the contract begins to rise in terms of cap hit. He's set to have $10.25 million in base salary, along with the prorated values of both his signing and option bonus. Gibbs will also have a $750,000 workout bonus prorated annually at $250,000 over the final three years of his deal, as well as an additional $2.5 million for 2028 that becomes guaranteed in March of 2027.In total, Gibbs is set to carry a cap hit of $15,506,600 for the 2028 season. It's worth noting that the 2028 season is the final year where Jared Goff, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown are under contract. Gibbs' base salary goes up again in 2029, with $22.5 million in base salary. He will get $8 million in salary for 2029 guaranteed in March of 2028, and another $3.5 million in salary guaranteed for injury in March of 2029 for that season. In total, along with the prorated signing, option and workout bonuses, Gibbs' cap hit for the 2029 season will be $27,506,000. The contract closes out with an identical cap hit of $27,506,000. However, the structure is slightly different. Gibbs will get a base salary of $21.25 million. In lieu of the $1 million less in base salary, Gibbs will get a $1 million roster bonus. The Lions can elect to get creative with restructures in order to create more space beginning in 2029, which could be the next year the Lions would need to have new deals for the likes of St. Brown, Goff and Sewell.In the event that Gibbs is not playing at a high level or the Lions elect to move on, he would carry a dead cap hit of $6 million in 2029 and $3 million in 2030. Ultimately, it is a win-win deal for the Lions, as they retain the services of their young star while also maintaining the ability to create cap freedom later in the deal.Incentives breakdownGibbs has escalators built into his contract for the 2029 and 2030 seasons. In 2029, his escalators will be based around his performance from 2026-28, with the escalators in 2030 based on his performance from 2026-29.His incentives are based around receiving yards, with the bar set at 800 yards. If he hits that at any point, that triggers a $562,500 bonus. Should he hit that mark and the team reach the Divisional Round, he would gain an additional $562,500.The numbers are slightly lower for the 2030 season. Gibbs' escalators for both an 800-yard receiving season and an 800-yard receiving season paired with a Divisional Round appearance are set at $421,875.Gibbs also has a one-time escalator built into both of those years where if he were to earn league MVP, he would earn a bonus of $750,000.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow