Steelers star Najee Harris sounds off on NFL's growing apathy toward RBs
There’s arguably no bigger hot-button issue in the NFL right now than the underappreciation of running backs.
While many including Austin Ekeler, Josh Jacobs and Nick Chubb have been increasingly vocal about the discrepancy in average salary of their position compared to others, more of the NFL’s top backs — including Steelers star Najee Harris — are speaking up to let the league know they’re not OK with being undervalued.
“The only time they choose to say it’s devalued is when it’s time to pay the running back,” Harris said, via The Athletic. “It’s not (less valuable) at all. They just don’t want to pay the running back. … In 17 games, they’re asking us to do this and this and this,” Harris said. “Not once did we say, ‘I thought the running back don’t matter, though? Why are you asking me to do this? Ask the (other position) to do this. We don’t say that.”
What Harris and several of his cohorts have been arguing is that because of the very nature of their position, which demands them to run the ball, catch passes, block, take hits and essentially play all offensive positions during any given game, they deserve to be compensated closer to what some of the top-tier quarterbacks and receivers are making.
Per Spotrac, the only positions with an average salary less than running backs ($.179M) are fullbacks ($.172M), punters ($1.5M) and long snappers ($1.02M).
“For them to say that at the running back position you’re slotted at this much money, I don’t think that’s right,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of great running backs that are doing receiving. There’s a lot of running backs doing blocking.”
The apparent consensus around the league, which has been expressed by both the players and front-office members, is this is just the way things are and there’s not much that can be done.
However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the powder keg the NFL is currently sitting on will blow at some point as long as running backs continue to be viewed as easily replaceable.
“When it’s time (to negotiate), when we want something from you guys — that’s to compensate us for our performance or compensate us for what we’re doing for the team and our value to the team,” Harris added. “That’s when it becomes an issue. That’s not right.”
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