Written with the help of artificial-intelligence tools and checked by automated controls.
This content was machine-translated from the French version.
They are there, in uniform, helmet in hand. But Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are not participating in any team drills since the opening of NFL training camps. The two star running backs from the 2023 draft, eligible for contract extensions, are leading what the league calls a "hold-in": neither a strike nor an absence—just a silent message sent every morning to their front office. Behind the apparent normalcy, a quiet pressure is building in the corridors of Atlanta and Detroit. No one says it out loud, but everyone is holding their breath waiting for the first check.
The hold-in, the new weapon of stars
The hold-in is a recent invention, now the preferred tactic for players who want to send a message without shooting themselves in the foot.
The hold-in is a recent invention, now the preferred tactic for players who want to send a message without shooting themselves in the foot. The player shows up, avoids fines, attends meetings, but does not set a cleat on the field until salary discussions progress. Tua Tagovailoa used it in 2024 in Miami before pocketing $212 million over four years. Today, it's two elite runners adopting the method, and the parallel with the Dolphins quarterback is on everyone's mind.
Robinson, the eighth pick of the 2023 draft by Atlanta, has compiled three consecutive seasons with over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. He caught 74 passes in 2025 and scored fourteen touchdowns in total. Gibbs, selected four spots later by Detroit, averages 5.1 yards per carry in his career and is coming off a 2025 campaign with 1,400 rushing yards. Two identical profiles: complete offensive weapons, capable of running between the tackles as well as catching passes in the slot. Two franchises that have built their offense around them. And two players who believe the time for payment has come.
Atlanta and Detroit under pressure
According to CBS Sports and ProFootballRumors, neither franchise has yet made an official offer. The Falcons have prioritized defensive reconstruction this summer; the Lions are still digesting the massive contracts given to their offensive line. Penei Sewell earns $28 million annually as left tackle, Frank Ragnow was extended in March at center. In this context, finding an additional fifteen to seventeen million for a running back requires a balancing act.
But time is running out: the regular season begins on September 10, and entering camp without their number one runner is a risk neither Arthur Smith nor Dan Campbell can take for long. Both coaches want to install their systems, refine the automatisms, test new protections. Every repetition without their primary offensive weapon is a lost repetition. The amounts mentioned behind the scenes hover around $15 to $17 million per year. A range that would place Robinson and Gibbs just behind Christian McCaffrey ($19 million per year) in the ranking of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. For a position the league has long devalued, these figures would mark a turning point.
Who will yield first?
The McCaffrey precedent weighs heavily in the discussions. In 2024, San Francisco agreed to make the 49ers runner the highest-paid in history at his position, validating the idea that an elite running back deserves an elite contract. Robinson and Gibbs know that if one signs first, the other will have a negotiation floor. Both camps are watching each other like poker players, with each day without news being interpreted as a sign.
Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Michael Penix Jr. is throwing passes to Tyler Allgeier, the designated replacement. In Detroit, Jared Goff is distributing the ball to David Montgomery, a safe bet but without Gibbs' X-factor. Both franchises insist that "discussions are progressing well" and that "everyone is aligned." No one believes them. Each day without an agreement increases the likelihood that the hold-in turns into a hold-out—then the bill changes scale. Fines rain down, the locker room grows impatient, and the first snaps of the season are dangerously approaching.