Detroit Lions declined Jack Campbell’s $21.9M fifth-year option despite his career-best 2025 season. Here’s why Dallas Cowboys should pursue the Pro Bowl linebacker.
Lions Open the Door — Will Jerry Jones Walk Through It?
The Detroit Lions declined Jack Campbell’s fifth-year option, leaving a Pro Bowl inside linebacker in a contract year with no long-term security — and handing the Dallas Cowboys a potential opening they didn’t expect. Detroit passed on a $21,925,000 option despite Campbell posting the best statistical season of his career in 2025. The decision was financial, not evaluative. That distinction matters enormously for any team willing to move fast.
Campbell will hit unrestricted free agency in spring 2026 unless Detroit locks him up on an extension first. According to Cowboys writer Levi Dombro of The Landry Hat, Jerry Jones should not wait to find out which way that goes.
What Did Campbell Actually Do in 2025?
The numbers are not subtle. Campbell finished the 2025 season with 176 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and four passes defended. He earned first-team All-Pro honors. For an off-ball linebacker, that is a complete statistical profile — run defense, pass rush contribution, and ball disruption all in one season.
Detroit selected Campbell 18th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Iowa. In three seasons, he has accumulated 402 career tackles, 8.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 10 passes defended. He is 24 years old and entering what should be his prime.
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Combined Tackles | 176 |
| Tackles for Loss | 9 |
| Sacks | 5 |
| Forced Fumbles | 3 |
| Passes Defended | 4 |
| Pro Bowl / All-Pro | First-Team All-Pro |
Why Did Detroit Walk Away From a $21.9M Option on an All-Pro?
The NFL’s fifth-year option structure created the problem. Under the current CBA, the league groups outside linebackers and edge rushers together with off-ball inside linebackers when calculating option values. Campbell plays inside. Edge rushers command premium salaries. The result: Campbell’s Tier 2 option — triggered by his single Pro Bowl selection — came in at $21,925,000 fully guaranteed for 2027.
As Dombro noted, that figure does not reflect what Campbell’s market value would be on an extension. It reflects an inflated formula. Detroit, carrying roughly $22.5 million in cap space heading into the 2026 offseason per OverTheCap, could not absorb a one-year, $22 million hit on a single linebacker without constraining extensions for other core players.
The Lions have publicly stated their intent to negotiate a team-friendly extension that still compensates Campbell fairly. That is the preferred outcome for Detroit. But it requires Campbell and his agent to agree — and right now, Campbell has no guaranteed money on the table.
Why a Cowboys Writer Is Pushing Jerry Jones to Call Detroit
Dombro’s argument starts with what Dallas failed to do. The Cowboys reportedly explored a trade for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair before the 2026 draft. Houston declined and signed Al-Shaair to a three-year, $54 million extension. Dallas pivoted, acquiring Dee Winters from San Francisco for a fifth-round pick and pursuing Miami’s Jordyn Brooks without success. The linebacker need did not go away.
Campbell, Dombro argues, is a better player than any of those alternatives. “Jones and the front office reportedly kicked the tires on Houston Texans Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, but to no avail,” Dombro wrote. “However, the Detroit Lions not picking up Jack Campbell’s fifth-year option should restore the dream of a Pro Bowl linebacker coming to Dallas.”
The Cowboys’ current inside linebacker depth chart lists DeMarvion Overshown and Shemar James as the primary starters, with Dee Winters and Marist Liufau behind them. That is a young, unproven group. Campbell would be the clear top option from day one.
Dombro also raised the Overshown variable directly. If contract talks with Overshown’s new agent, David Mulugheta, break down, Campbell becomes a replacement rather than a complement. Either way, Dallas gets elite production at the position.
Trade Now or Wait for Free Agency: What Are Dallas’ Options?
Dallas has two realistic paths. The first is a trade during the 2026 season. Campbell and his agent are entering a contract year without long-term security. That creates leverage for any team willing to offer a multi-year deal as part of an acquisition. Detroit, facing its own cap constraints, might accept draft capital to avoid losing Campbell for nothing in 2027. The risk for Dallas: trade compensation plus a long-term contract commitment on a player they have not evaluated in their own system.
The second path is patience. If Detroit does not reach an extension agreement before the 2026 season ends, Campbell hits unrestricted free agency in spring 2027. Dallas could pursue him without surrendering draft picks. The risk: Detroit could close a deal at any point, or another team outbids Dallas in free agency.
As Dombro put it: “Campbell is set for unrestricted free agency next spring, but he and his agent probably aren’t happy about having no future security. Surely, they want a multi-year deal in place in a contract year. If Detroit isn’t going to give him one, the Cowboys should at least ask about his trade price.” That framing is accurate. A player in Campbell’s position has every incentive to push for a trade to a team ready to commit long-term.
What Campbell Would Actually Change for Dallas
The Cowboys’ linebacker situation heading into 2026 is functional, not elite. Overshown has shown flashes but has not played a full healthy season. Shemar James is a rookie. Dee Winters arrived via trade and is unproven at this level. None of them have Campbell’s résumé.
The Overshown contract situation adds urgency. Overshown recently hired David Mulugheta — an agent with a history of aggressive negotiations and documented friction with Jerry Jones — as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. His 2026 cap hit sits at $1,715,007, but his market value as an unrestricted free agent in 2027 will be significantly higher. A franchise tag projection of $30.17 million has already been floated and widely considered unlikely for Jones to exercise.
If those talks stall or collapse, Dallas needs a contingency. Campbell is not a contingency player. He is a first-team All-Pro who would immediately become the best linebacker on the roster and one of the better ones in the NFC.
The Lions’ cap decision created an opening. Whether Jones moves on it — or watches Campbell sign elsewhere — will say a great deal about how seriously Dallas is building around its defense.
