History has been created a third time this offseason after Justin Herbert signed yet another record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Chargers worth a whopping $52.5 million average annual salary. However, on the flip side, the RB market continues to plummet with no long-term deals on the horizon and the highest-paid RB still remains 49ers Christian McCaffrey who is bagging just $16 million a year. The difference between the annual salary of a QB and an RB is quite evident from this.
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The NFL running backs are raising their voices about being undervalued compared to the booming quarterback market. The recent contract of Justin Herbert adds to the ongoing debate about the value of running backs. While the New York Giants and Saquon Barkley seem to have found common ground, other running backs still face a challenging battle ahead.
Quarterback vs Running Back Market Value
The NFL world woke up with a new highest-paid quarterback Justin Herbert today. The QB phenomenon bagged a hefty five-year, $262.5 million contract extension. Surprisingly, Herbert does not fall even in the top 4 quarterbacks in CBS’s QB power rankings.
The Highest Average Paid NFL Players:
1️⃣ Justin Herbert, $52.5M
2️⃣ Lamar Jackson, $52M
3️⃣ Jalen Hurts, $51M
4️⃣ Aaron Rodgers, $50.2M
5️⃣ Russell Wilson, $48.5M
6️⃣ Kyler Murray, $46.1M
7️⃣ Deshaun Watson, $46M
8️⃣ Patrick Mahomes, $45M
9️⃣ Josh Allen, $43M
🔟 Matthew Stafford, Daniel… pic.twitter.com/jYZM1rmOcq— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 26, 2023
Subsequently, Saquon Barkley who is ranked third on CBS’s Fantasy Football RB rankings secured a $11 million deal for just one year after a standoff that lasted months. To put things into perspective, the Giants RB was already earning $10.1 million after getting franchise tagged. On a similar note, even other starting running backs like Raiders Josh Jacobs and Cowboys Tony Pollard are yet to strike a deal let alone a long-term one.
The decreasing interest in paying RBs despite their physically challenging role has created a state of unrest among the players. So much so that even veteran OJ Simpson and analyst Rich Eisen have come forward to address it. This even prompted Barkley to publicly disregard the Giants on his recent podcast appearance. While others admitted to picking the wrong position to make a career in.
Justin Herbert vs Christian McCaffrey Contract Comparison
Christian McCaffrey is arguably the best running back in the league right now, signed a 4-year deal worth $64 million with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. Even after getting traded to the 49ers, McCaffrey continues to bag $16 million a year. However, for a man his caliber is still lagging behind $36.5 million from the highest-paid QB in the league.
Justin Herbert during the 2022 regular season threw for 4,739 yards scoring 25 touchdowns. Though the Chargers reached the playoffs, they failed to proceed to the Divisional Round. However, it is nowhere near Patrick Mahomes’ 5,250 yards and 41 regular season touchdowns. While McCaffrey, who is best in his position fails to make more than $16 million.
A running back is most certainly a pivotal element in any offense. And considering that they are subject to lots of hits during the game the shelf life of any RB is considerably lower than a QBs. Yet they are paid a lot less than what they bring to the table. Thus, it is a matter of concern for them
