“Just take the Rb position out of the game”

This is a quote from Derrick Henry, commenting on the low pay for running backs throughout the NFL. Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler and more NFL running backs have come out saying that they are being robbed of money they should receive. Many are threatening to stop showing up to practice and maybe even missing some games until they get what they want. But how low are running backs getting paid?

            A running backs franchise tag (franchise tag comes from averaging the top 5 salaries for each position from the previous year) is about 10 million where a quarterbacks is 29 million, even tight ends have an 11-million-dollar tag. The tag for running backs is the second lowest in the league, only in front of kickers and punters. That’s quite shocking, considering when we think of running backs we think of them handling a large chunk of the offense, like a Derrick Henry who handles most of the work for the Titans (he gets paid 12.5 million/year, his QB Ryan Tannehill gets 29.5 million/year).

At this point, you’re probably getting your pitchforks ready to storm Goodell’s office and get your favorite running back some more pay, but, in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.

When you take a look at the last 20 years of running backs on a team that won the Super Bowl, there have been only 3, yes you heard that 3, that have been elected to the Pro Bowl. Those three were Corey Dillon (2004), Ray Rice (2012), and Marshawn Lynch (2013), so if you look at the last ten years there has not been a single Super Bowl team that had a Pro Bowl running back on the roster. This speaks to the changing of the game. Football is no longer hand it off for two downs and then hope your QB can convert on 3^rd down. The game is wanting to get the ball in the hands of your quarterback as much as possible. Jackson, Hurts, and Allen can all essentially do what a running back can do with their legs (there were 5 quarterbacks with over 700 rushing yards last year), but they also give you the chance to pass the ball, so why not have more options?  

Most teams now have a system of paying a few running backs less money and having a running back by committee approach, which keeps fresh legs on the field, reduces the chance for injury and saves them money. It works, as seen by the Chiefs, the Eagles, the Patriots and the Rams over the last six years.

You might say running backs put people in the seats, but do they? Last year, not a single running back was in the top ten for jersey sales.

The fact is, the game has changed, and the pay is changing with it. Could you make an argument for higher pay for a select few like Henry or Ekeler, sure, but the smart approach as shown by Super Bowl success is doing running back by committee, and paying your Quarterback! We’ll see what happens in 2023, but signing your kid up to be a running back might not be the best financial decision these days.