Are Running Backs Being Undervalued?
Running backs aren't valued as high as they used to be as recently as the early 2010s.
The running back position was always an important and highly utilized one. Though as the years have passed they have become less dominant which has unfortunately led to them being paid significantly less than most other positions. According to thefootballusa.com, the running back position is the third lowest paying position averaging 1,797,032 right in front of only the punters who make on average about 1.5 million, and fullbacks who average 1,724,440 a season. The fullback numbers might be inflated compared to runningbacks since there are only 25 fullbacks currently in the NFL, but the point still stands. Runningbacks should be making significantly more than fullbacks since they are more important and a more integral part of the success of an offense. So why are running backs being undervalued? I have a few reasons why I think that is.
The most obvious reason is that offenses have become more pass-heavy, thus taking away the importance of having a great running back. If you take a look at the running backs who have won Super Bowls since the 80s, the only two that were important pieces to their team were Emmitt Smith with the Dallas Cowboys and Terrell Davis with the Denver Broncos. You can even go a step further and say they most likely down win their games without those players. Unfortunately, this isn’t the 90s or early 2000s anymore and teams can see that they don't need a top running back to be successful. Take a look at the two teams that just played in the Super Bowl this past year, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams ran a running back by committee and none of the backs were making top dollar for their position. The last nine Super Bowl winners have had a running back by committee. So I can see why teams are hesitant to give running backs a crazy amount, no matter how good they are.
The ten highest-paid running backs this season goes as follows: Bijan Robinson, Christian McCafrey, Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, Nick Chubb, Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, and James Conner. Two of these players, Robinson and Gibbs just got drafted in the first round and so they get 4-5 years on rookie contracts. So what teams are doing is they are drafting them early so they get an extra year, wear them out, and then draft another running back. That’s been the trend recently. That’s why you see guys like Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, who are both barely 27, out of a job and still looking to get signed.
Some players are due for extensions like Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Jonathon Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts. Taylor was the leading rusher two seasons ago and Jacobs was last year’s leading rusher. Both players seem to be trending toward sitting out until they get a new contract. It’s gotten so bad that Taylor has asked to be traded after Colts owner Jim Irsay has been publicly criticizing him and running backs in general. He went to Twitter to say “NFL Running Back situation- We have negotiated a CBA, that took years of effort and hard work and compromise in good faith by both sides..to say now that a specific Player category wants another negotiation after the fact, is inappropriate. Some Agents are selling ‘bad faith’. As you might’ve imagined Taylor did not take those words kindly since he is one of the players trying to get a new contract. Irsay and Taylor reportedly had a meeting, and it was after the meeting that Taylor told them he wants to be traded. Irsay went on to say, “If I die tonight and Jonathon Taylor’s out of the league, no one’s gonna miss us”. What a really weird thing to say about the player who has been the most important part of your offense. It’s safe to say this situation is not going to end well for either side.
So I think you should pay the running backs what they are worth, but it will probably not lead to the ultimate goal of winning a championship. It’s a tricky situation to be in because the ultimate goal is to win a championship. Though players should also want to maximize their potential and get every penny they are worth, especially given the fact that running backs have the shortest career in the NFL because they take the most hits and it’s not close. So I say go get that bag and maximize the years you have in the NFL because these teams are so quick to kick you to the curb and not pay you.