NFL running backs deserve better
With training camp just days away for some teams, two of the league’s top-five running backs are still without contracts. Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs aren’t happy about their franchise tags, and they have every reason to be angry.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington points out that while franchise tag figures for other positions have gone up in recent years, the cost to tag an NFL running back has gone down. Using 2015 as a baseline, Darlington points out that while quarterback and wide receiver tags have increased substantially, the average running back tag is down by nearly a million dollars.
According to statista.com, the average career of an NFL player lasts 3.3 years, but the average career for an NFL running back is 2.57 years, shorter than any other position. With nine years of NFL experience between them, Barkley and Jacobs have already beaten the odds in a way, but their odds of getting a fair deal under the franchise tag are almost impossible.
Barkley’s 1,312 rushing yards in 2022 were fourth-most in the NFL last year and his 57 catches tied wide receiver Richie James for the team lead. In fact, with 1,650 all-purpose yards last season, Barkley accounted for 29% of the Giants’ total offense.
Under the franchise tag, Barkley stands to make $10.1M in 2023, or $1,094,943 less than his average salary for the past five years. Jacobs has averaged just over $5M in annual salary in four years with the Raiders, but after leading the league with 1,653 yards while averaging 4.9 yards per rush in a contract year, he surely hoped to cash in this offseason.
Jacobs played in all 17 games last season and accounted for 34% of the team’s offense. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has played a full season just once and will make almost $24M in 2023.
Obviously, things could be better for today’s running backs. To remedy the situation, Darlington wonders if the league and the union should negotiate a rule limiting the number of years for a running back’s first contract, allowing them to get to market faster.
It’s an interesting thought. Another idea would be to exempt running backs from the franchise tag altogether. Unfortunately, the current CBA doesn’t expire until 2030 so any changes will have little to no effect on today’s running backs.
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