Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell is one of the best players in the league at his position, but he may have played his last snap in the Motor City. Selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Iowa product has quickly become one of the league’s premier linebackers and a true force in the heart of the defense. He began his career with an impressive 95-tackle campaign and has only improved since then. 2025 was easily the best season of his career, as he recorded 176 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, five quarterback hits, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and a 90.2 PFF grade, the second-best in the league.
Despite all this, the Detroit Lions declined the fifth-year option on his contract, which means he will become a free agent after the season. This had to have been a difficult decision, as players like Campbell are hard to come across. However, the fifth-year option meant Campbell would have been paid roughly $21.92 million in 2027, which would make him the NFL’s highest-paid linebacker. Ultimately, the Lions couldn’t justify paying him and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, so Campbell could reach the open market.
In all likelihood, Detroit will try to negotiate a long-term extension with Jack Campbell that will give him the money he deserves without his cap hit exploding. However, if the two sides cannot agree to terms, the Lions could trade him to just about any team in the league for a solid return.
Lions Could Trade Jack Campbell After Declining Fifth-Year Option
Campbell’s situation is unique, as teams rarely decline the fifth-year option of elite players. The only recent example to come to mind is when the Baltimore Ravens declined the fifth-year option of star center Tyler Linderbaum last year. Linderbaum ended up playing out the 2025 season with Baltimore but signed a massive three-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.
Baltimore effectively let Linderbaum leave for nothing, and the Detroit Lions could prevent this fate if they trade their star linebacker. Linebacker is not the most important position in football by any stretch of the imagination, so teams probably won’t give up a first-round pick for Jack Campbell. However, Detroit could probably get a Day 2 pick for his services, and they should consider an offer like that. After all, the 2027 NFL Draft class is supposedly loaded with talent, and Detroit should welcome the opportunity to land more draft picks next year. While a trade would make them worse in the short-term, the long-term value is undeniable.
Possible Fits
While any team could trade for a player like Jack Campbell, there are a few teams that make more sense than others. The Kansas City Chiefs, for instance, lost several key defensive players in the offseason. While cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson earned most of the attention, they also need to find a replacement for Leo Chenal. Chenal was one of the more underrated linebackers in the league, but Campbell would be a clear upgrade. Seeing as Patrick Mahomes is returning from a torn ACL and might not be himself right out of the gate, Kansas City should invest in a defensive playmaker like Campbell so every game doesn’t have to be a shootout. The only question is if the cash-strapped Chiefs can afford to give him an extension.
The New York Jets, meanwhile, heavily invested in the defensive side of the ball throughout the offseason, but they still have room for Jack Campbell. Aaron Glenn’s squad had a historically bad season last year, and the former Lions defensive coordinator won’t earn another shot at the wheel if he cannot turn this ship around in 2026. Campbell played under Glenn in Detroit, so the head coach should know how to get the most out of the linebacker.
