Former NFL Player Makes Admission About The RB Market
The running back market in the NFL is at an all-time low right now.
A number of star running backs, such as Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, have been angling for new contracts, but their teams haven’t offered them one they feel reflects how valuable they are.
The market has reached a crisis point, and there is lots of speculation about what should be done as a result.
Fred Taylor, a former Pro Bowl running back, says that perhaps there will need to be something in the NFL’s next collective bargaining agreement to address the problem, via a recent appearance on Pat McAfee’s show.
“The RB situation is a mess and it’s gonna be a mess until the next CBA comes about”@FredTaylorMade #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/rjbxktwd91
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 10, 2023
Decades ago, running backs were often a team’s most valuable offensive weapon, but that has changed as the league has become more and more pass-heavy and quarterback-friendly.
The feeling around the league now is that running backs are disposable, and that teams are best off drafting such players and letting them leave once their rookie contracts expire.
Apparently, one reason teams are reluctant to hand out sizable contracts to running backs is the fact that they traditionally fall off a cliff at around age 30, while players at other positions can continue to be productive deep into their 30s.
However, many would argue that star running backs should be paid beyond their rookie contracts, especially when their teams are heavily dependent on them to produce offense.
Perhaps one way out of this situation is for more running backs to develop into dual-threat players so that they can offer greater value to teams beyond simply rushing the ball for a few yards per attempt.
But it doesn’t seem to be a situation that will have an easy solution.
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