The Running Backs were the biggest movers this off-season, with seven former Pro Bowl rushers finding a new team. Many big names on the blocks found new homes. recent moves for multiple running backs were claimed by many to be a “gold rush” for running backs. However, Michael Irvin dismissed such a notion.
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Michael Irvin who played with HOF rusher Emmitt Smith, made an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, where he expressed his frustration about this growing trend of undervaluing the backs. Irvin said there is no such rush and teams rather than paying running backs their fair share, are just shuffling them around. He still can’t fathom that even average QBs who are not difference-makers like Daniel Jones, Ryan Tannehill, etc are getting paid more than star rushers like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, etc. He said,
” It blows my mind that even now we try to play with the talk- ‘Look at the rush on running backs.’ There is no rush on running backs. All we did was shuffle them around. We didn’t really move any numbers. Last year the franchise number was $10 million, this year it’s 12 million. Are you telling me Henry was worth whatever you are paying him and you paid Tannehill 100 million? Barkley was worth what he was asking for and then you went and paid Daniel Jones $45m. QB’s are not worth what you are paying, the running backs are and you are still paying QBs. That blows my mind.”
Saquon Barkley went from the Giants to the Eagles after the New York side refused to give him the contract he deserved. He signed a 3-year, $37,750,000 contract with $26 million guaranteed money. However, Barkley’s former QB Daniel Jones got a four-year $160 million extension.
Derrick Henry became a free agent and signed a 2-year, $16,000,000 contract with the Ravens. During his time with the Titans, he never made more than $12.5 million, while his former teammate Tannehill made nearly $30 million, for delivering average performances. Despite all the moves, the RB market is saturated and the position has been devalued. The league prefers the younger rookie over giving the contract to a veteran. While the market for all the other positions has blown up, the same hasn’t happened for the Backs, despite being game-changers.
Despite being one of the most important offensive positions, the Running-backs haven’t benefitted from the NFL’s salary cap rise.
Michael Irvin Challenges Average Running Back Pay in 2024 Vs 2023
Irvin believes despite this off-season being the biggest for running backs, teams are not really investing in the position and are just moving the players around. The franchise number for money invested in RBs increased from $10 million to only $12 million. Meanwhile the WR and QB market has seen a sharp increase with the best receivers in the league earning $30 million a year and QBs making $50 million.
Even the league’s best Rushers- Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, and Nick Chubb are taking home on average $12 million, which is only 4-6 % of the salary cap and team’s payroll, despite being the best players for their franchises over past 2-3 seasons. Most of the other backs account for only 2-4 % of the team’s payroll and salary cap percentage.
The average salary for rushers comes out as $2,275,801, while the best QBs account for 15% to 20 % of the team’s payroll and 10-25 % of the team’s cap space, according to the former WR. The league-wide average comes down to $10,692,361 as per Spotrac. which is $8 million more than rushers, despite many being the best players on their team.
While the value of a good QB in the team cannot be undermined, good shot-callers always need a running game. When the offence isn’t working many point out to lack of running game because in that system the QB has to throw more frequently which increases the chances of turning the ball over. While the great rushers still get their due, the organizations would rather burn rookie rushers and then draft another, rather than paying the big bucks to an already established back. There was a time when running backs were first-round draft picks, but in the upcoming draft, there will be no rusher before the end of the 2nd round.
There was a time when the league relied on rushers like Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, and O.J Simpson to carry their respective offences but today’s game has become pass-oriented and modern OCs don’t want to run the ball anymore.
