Everybody who follows the NFL knows a bit about the stories of Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and now, Jonathan Taylor.
One thing that I don't think is entirely complex nor controversial is saying that running backs are comparatively getting screwed. What's more interesting is why they're getting screwed and how the NFL may fix it if they so choose.
Realistically, even though I think that most people like the NFL better now that it leans more on the passing game, I don't think that most of us want the NFL to give up and become a seven on seven league.
One issue is the nature of the position. That really can't change too much. We've mocked (rightfully so, in some cases) the strict rules that have been placed on hitting quarterbacks. But, even if we roled roughing the passer penalties back a decade, running backs would still be the least protected position on the field.
Yes, people at every position is prone to get hit on occasion, even kickers. Still, running backs are always going to be different. Receivers take big hits on a fairly regular basis; but, those hits are coming from corners and safeties who may only weigh in at about 200 pounds. Running backs have to go through a meat grinder of big bodies in a way that other players at other positions don't. It's the position where a dude who may only weigh 200 to 220 is gonna have to face being hit by a monster like Aaron Donald or Quinnen Williams every play.
So, given the nature of the position, shelf life is a problem. Even some top receivers contemplate retiring at the age of thirty. The average NFL career is fewer than four years. NFL players don't get rich until their second contracts, and their first contracts cover their first four years in the league. A lot of running backs -- most running backs -- are considered to be damaged goods after the first four years.
So, why is this such a big issue now? Why is it that Daniel Jones is making more than three times what Saquon Barkley is this year?
One issue is inflation.
The NFL salary cap keeps going up despite the 2020 dip due to covid. Just a few years ago, a multi-year quarterback contract worth $130 million total was considered to be a huge pay day. Now, Patrick Mahomes is the eighth highest paid quarterback in the NFL with a contract worth half a billion dollars. The analytics show the importance of having a franchise quarterback in a way that isn't even close to being reflected for running backs. So, teams will throw money at quarterbacks who are simply good enough in a way that they won't pay superstar running backs.
What's more, it's expected that a quarterback will be a bit of a diamond in the rough for a couple of years. Mahomes spent his rookie year on the bench. Josh Allen didn't pop until his third season. Still, once your franchise quarterback proves that he's the guy, he's probably gonna be the guy for a solid decade or more.
By contrast, running backs are expected to show how good they can be in the first year or two. It's also admitted that, for the most part, running backs are expected to be sloping down after four or five seasons.
This is where collective bargaining has left running backs in the dust.
Before 2011, there was no rookie scale contract in the CBA. Namely, teams could draft a player and sign him to whatever contract they wanted.
The thing is, JaMarcus Russell happened.
The Raiders drafted Russell first overall before the rookie payscale rules were in place. Russell held out into the regular season until the Raiders signed him to a six year contract, and made him the seventh highest paid player in the NFL before Russell had even played a snap at the NFL level.
Russell turned out to be a complete bust with no work ethic who just managed to fleece the Raiders out of a ton of money. Less than a year after Russell was released by the Raiders, the CBA was renegotiated to include strict limits on rookie contracts.
This is a rule that's particularly good for the teams. Basically, if a guy like Trevor Lawrence decided to play hardball like Russell did, the Jaguars could honestly tell him that their hands are tied in regard to how much they can pay him. It gives the teams a bit of a try before you buy deal.
This also isn't terrible for most of the players. Just like it gives the teams an out after four or five seasons, it gives players who are successful the freedom to hit the market once they're established. The Chiefs and the Bills definitely didn't want Mahomes or Allen to feel compelled to keep the pen off the paper and see what other teams would pay them; so, the teams paid up (though, one could argue that Mahomes and Allen are kinda getting screwed now). The same is going on with Justin Herbert, and probably Joe Burrow.
The thing is, this does screw running backs.
Most running backs aren't drafted in the first round anymore; so, immediately, their rookie contracts are lower than many of their fellow players. Again, once those rookie deals are done, teams basically want to make everything year to year until their bodies crap out.
The franchise tag is something that a lot of players hate; but, it hurts running backs more than it hurts other players at other positions. Basically, a franchise tag comes with a one year salary for the player that's the average of the top five salaries at the position from the previous year. For quarterbacks, a franchise tag is worth more than $32.4 million. For receivers, it's worth $19.7 million. For linebackers, it's worth more than $20 million. For running backs, it's worth $10.1 million.
The only position with a lower franchise tag number is kicker/punter, and they aren't expected to have broken bodies after a few years.
Honestly, I think the only way to fix this is to make a break from the collective, and acknowledge that running backs are a special case. Maybe there could be a fund paid out only to running backs based on production that won't count against the cap. Maybe there could be some exceptions to the rookie deals. I don't know.
Still, football isn't the same thing as other sports. Each position is particularly unique. Treating every position the same way doesn't make particular sense.