Title: Running Backs Continue to Face Financial Struggles as Pro Football Prioritizes Cost Savings
Subtitle: The running back position remains highly replaceable in the NFL, leading to frustration among veteran players
Date: [Insert Date]
Running backs in the NFL are expressing their confusion and anger over the league’s continued emphasis on cost savings by targeting the running back position. While this issue has recently garnered attention, it has been an ongoing trend for years.
At its core, the problem stems from the constant supply of talented running backs entering the league each year. College football produces numerous tailbacks capable of performing in the NFL, provided they have a solid offensive line, maintain ball possession when tackled by NFL defenders, and demonstrate proficiency in pass protection.
The NFL draft sees the influx of countless running back prospects, with some being drafted while many others go undrafted. The abundance of available talent makes running backs interchangeable, much like kickers and punters. The logic behind the league’s decision to favor younger, cheaper players over older, more expensive ones seems like a practical business move.
An example of this business approach can be seen in the Dallas Cowboys’ handling of DeMarco Murray. After a record-breaking season in 2014, the Cowboys allowed Murray to leave in free agency. They opted to sign Darren McFadden to a more affordable contract while Murray signed a lucrative deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Surprisingly, McFadden outperformed Murray in terms of rushing yards in their respective first seasons with their new teams.
The mentality of considering all players as interchangeable parts in the football machine extends to running backs. This position, according to insiders, does not offer the expected points and surplus value that can justify higher salaries. The NFL, being a salary cap league, allocates significant resources to positions such as quarterbacks, receivers, pass rushers, and cornerbacks, which provide the most surplus value.
The mindset that running back salaries should be limited is partly attributed to former coach Mike Shanahan, who demonstrated that his offensive system could maximize the performance of any running back. His son, Kyle Shanahan, has continued this trend as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, having a different rushing leader every year since his appointment.
Ironically, despite the Shanahans’ success with interchangeable running backs, the 49ers currently have the highest-paid running back in Christian McCaffrey. While McCaffrey is undeniably talented, this disparity in salary highlights the inconsistency in valuation within the position.
It is clear that the veteran running backs hoping for a change in the system will face an uphill battle. The inevitability of interchangeable running backs is unlikely to shift in an environment with a salary cap treating all positions equally. Any potential solutions would need to come from other avenues, such as revisiting the path to free agency or establishing a league-wide fund to compensate running backs based on their performance metrics.
Ultimately, the existing market dynamics have created these financial struggles for running backs, making it challenging for the current system to undergo significant changes based solely on the discontent of older players. Meanwhile, a fresh batch of young players eagerly awaits their opportunity to become underpaid veterans in the future.