How Come Running Backs in NFL Paid So Poorly? It Began With a Mistake Made by Los Angeles Rams
Running backs in the NFL are like buffalo in that they are amazing and loud, but they all look and play the same. Nowadays, individuals rarely show any signs of standing out from the crowd.
They are also marked with a short shelf life. Only one of the 27 running backs who gained more than 800 yards in 2022 (Raheem Mostert of the Miami Dolphins) was older than 30.
Fifteen rushers gained over 1,000 yards, and they were all essentially seen as equal by opposing teams. They get their best playing years in for free in college, and then they get drafted late and discarded right before they’re about to make a lot of money.
Result? According to Spotrac, in 2023, a kicker’s average income of $2.26 million will be more than that of a running back’s average salary of $1.81 million.
It appears that many teams have learned from the Rams’ 2018 misstep in extending running back Todd Gurley with a four-year, $57-million agreement when he still had two years left on his rookie deal.
Since Gurley’s performance was hindered by knee issues, the Rams overpaid him by $20 million. In March of 2020, when he was only 25 years old, he was let go.
On Monday, the predicament of running backs received a lot of attention as Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants were neither offered long-term contracts nor guaranteed anything more than the one-year, $10.1 million franchise tag salary.
Last season, Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, while Barkley finished fourth with 1,312. Tony Pollard, who carried for 1,007 yards for the Cowboys in 2022 and averaged 5.2 yards per run, was awarded the franchise tag by the team.
The franchise tags have been placed on Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley. Cat is presented to Tom Brady.
Three-time All-Pro Ezekiel Elliott and four-time Pro Bowl selection Dalvin Cook are among the free agents still looking for an offer.
On social media, their fellow running backs vented their frustration and outrage. Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers said on Twitter, “This is Criminal. They have three of the league’s best players overall.
On Twitter, Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans said, “At this point, just take the RB position out of the game then.”
Austin Ekeler of the Chargers, who has a knack for finding the end zone and is therefore a popular fantasy pick, tweeted, “Everyone knows it’s tough to win without a top RB and yet they act like we are discardable widgets.”
After the 2023 season, Ekeler, who has never rushed for 1,000 yards but has led the NFL in touchdowns the last two years with 38, will be a free agent. This offseason, he asked to be traded and eventually settled for a new deal with $1.75 million in incentives.
In his final year of his deal, Austin Ekeler and the Chargers have reached an agreement.
Even though running back is the only position in football where the franchise tag number has decreased since 2015, it would be a good conclusion for Ekeler if he were to receive a franchise tag offer in a year.
Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns was the last running back to sign a multi-year contract worth more than $10 million a year. Chubb will earn $10.85 million this year, slightly more than the franchise tag number, as part of his three-year, $36.6 million agreement.
The Rams have shrugged their shoulders at running backs since the Gurley incident. Both Cam Akers and Sony Michel, the team’s two-year running leaders, had very average seasons.
They are now at the top of the depth chart, and Coach Sean McVay appears satisfied, saying recently on Sirius XM radio about Akers, “Cam is going to be a central figure in this offence.” He’s setting the stage for a fantastic year, in my opinion.
The Rams’ satisfaction with Akers’ signing must be palpable. Since he didn’t play in at least six games in 2021, his little four-year rookie deal of $6,173,035 will expire at the end of the season, and he’ll receive around $1.8 million in 2023. However, he will be a restricted free agent.
If he has another season like the one he had at the end of last year, when he carried for over 100 yards in each of the final three games, the Rams can keep him for under $4 million.
And if they decide to upgrade, there should be no shortage of cheap buffalo to choose from.
