Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Austin Ekeler sound off on absence of RB extensions: 'Criminal'

[Corbin]

Todd Gurley sends his regards

 

[JYB]

Christian McCaffrey, other running backs sound off on absence of RB extensions: 'Criminal'

The NFL's top running backs are showing solidarity in the face of a league that continues to devalue the position.

sports.yahoo.com

Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Austin Ekeler sound off on absence of RB extensions: 'Criminal'​

Jason Owens
Staff writer
Tue, Jul 18, 2023, 9:28 AM GMT+10·5 min read


"It sucks to be a running back," putting it very bluntly.


Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs will play this NFL season on the franchise tag. Or they won't.

Those are the only two options.

After the passage of a Monday deadline, neither is eligible to sign a long-term deal this offseason following months of failed negotiations. How they proceed is now up to them. Holding out for training camp, the start of the season or beyond is an option for both players. It's an option Le'Veon Bell maximized in 2018 under similar circumstances that marked the end of his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Neither has signed their franchise tender.

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, meanwhile, has decided to sign his franchise tender and is expected to play this season without an extension.

For NFL running backs, the absence of extensions for two of the best at the position further signals a stark reality in a league that continues to devalue them and increasingly declines to make long-term investments in the position. Some of the league's best backs took notice of the news.

(R-L) Derrick Henry has Saquon Barkley's back. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

They also took notice of ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, who tweeted about the perceived disposability of running backs amid Monday's news. They sounded off.
Tennessee Titans running back and two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry had this to say:


View: https://twitter.com/KingHenry_2/status/1681062636828389376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681062636828389376%7Ctwgr%5Ef72f75acffad304b0fc1f291798bc30a359d0c02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fderrick-henry-christian-mccaffrey-jonathan-taylor-austin-ekeler-sound-off-on-absence-of-rb-extensions-criminal-232801037.html




Fortunately for Henry, he's not facing the same circumstances as Jacobs and Barkley. He's approaching the final year of a four-year, $50 million extension to his rookie contract and was awarded a $2 million pay bump last offseason. He got his big payday. But he'll be fighting for another one soon.

Three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has also secured his payday as he approaches the second year of a four-year, $64 million contract. Like Henry, he stood in solidarity with his fellow running backs, calling the lack of long-term deals by Monday's deadline "criminal."


View: https://twitter.com/CMC_22/status/1681066959230607366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681066959230607366%7Ctwgr%5Ef72f75acffad304b0fc1f291798bc30a359d0c02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fderrick-henry-christian-mccaffrey-jonathan-taylor-austin-ekeler-sound-off-on-absence-of-rb-extensions-criminal-232801037.html


"This is Criminal. Three of the best PLAYERS in the entire league, regardless of position," McCaffrey wrote of Barkley, Jacobs and Pollard.

Austin Ekeler is playing on considerably less lucrative 4-year, $24.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers. He requested a trade this offseason in search of a new deal, but is remaining with the Chargers after negotiating an incentive boost. Like Henry, he pronounced his support for his fellow running backs while calling Miller's take on the position's disposability "trash."


View: https://twitter.com/AustinEkeler/status/1681065124772352001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681065124772352001%7Ctwgr%5Ef72f75acffad304b0fc1f291798bc30a359d0c02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fderrick-henry-christian-mccaffrey-jonathan-taylor-austin-ekeler-sound-off-on-absence-of-rb-extensions-criminal-232801037.html




Without a new deal of his own, Indianapolis Colts running back and 2021 NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor will be in a similar position as Jacobs and Barkley next offseason. He's approaching the final year of his four-year, $7.8 million rookie contract. He could very well face the prospect of playing the 2024 season under the franchise tag if he and the Colts don't come to terms.

He was among the first to respond to the news Monday that Jacobs and Barkley didn't get new deals. He was succinct in his response.


View: https://twitter.com/JayT23/status/1681032905844293633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681032905844293633%7Ctwgr%5Ef72f75acffad304b0fc1f291798bc30a359d0c02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fderrick-henry-christian-mccaffrey-jonathan-taylor-austin-ekeler-sound-off-on-absence-of-rb-extensions-criminal-232801037.html


Later, he saw the same tweet from Miller that prompted responses from Henry and Ekeler. He responded in kind.


View: https://twitter.com/JayT23/status/1681068459877187584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681068459877187584%7Ctwgr%5Ef72f75acffad304b0fc1f291798bc30a359d0c02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fderrick-henry-christian-mccaffrey-jonathan-taylor-austin-ekeler-sound-off-on-absence-of-rb-extensions-criminal-232801037.html









NFL running backs are in a position like they've never been before. Now, they're showing solidarity. How Jacobs and Barkley approach the upcoming season without new deals will be of great interest to all involved parties.

.

I have no sympathy for them. You take what the market will bear, "fair" or not.

But in my view, they are looking at this from a very narrow and selfish perspective. They look at it in terms of how their contracts compare to other NFL contracts. By that measure, they may, in fact, he "underpaid." But relative to the average pay in the country, they are vastly OVERPAID. Where else would they be able to make $8 million per year? That's a massive amount of money and they will all be set for life, unless they foolishly/recklessly piss it away. In few other industries can they earn that kind of income.

Take what you can get and be very happy that you are so blessed as to be showered with SO much money that you won't have to work a day in your life after the age of 30. And stop complaining that your neighbor/locker room mates are making more than you. To my mind, that's just sheer greed and envy.

 

[kurtfaulk]

They aren't getting paid enough. Fans pay their paycheck. They want a bigger piece of the pie news flash everybody on an NFL roster wants more money.

they want more money within the confines of the salary cap to reward them comparable to their talent.

the salary cap isn't changing.

.

 

[OldSchool]

they want more money within the confines of the salary cap to reward them comparable to their talent.

the salary cap isn't changing.

.

Salary cap goes up every year. Yes they want a bigger share of the pie (salary cap). Everybody does. Their position like a couple others are declining in importance to the teams. Like ILB and Safeties the RB position just doesn't in the opinion of teams warrant a big payday.

Three running backs over $10 million (goes to 6 if the 3 franchised guys play this year) and we have 3 WR's over 20 million and another 21 over $10 million. The game has changed it's a pass heavy league now the RB is devalued because of it.

There have been too many contracts given out of late to big RB's that have had questionable returns. Gurley? Great until he got hurt and was out of the league in a couple of years.
Zeke? Yeah he's unemployed
Dalvin Cook? Can't stay healthy always seems to be dinged and misses games
David Johnson and Kenyan Drake spent a year or two in the top 5 paid running backs.
Look at 2019 the top 5 paid RB?
Zeke unemployed
Gurley retired to injury
Bell we already discussed
David Johnson yikes
Devonta Freeman yikes 2.0

Fans know for the most part that the best way to handle the RB position is to keep drafting young guys and going by committee back there. Hell I don't even want a day 1 or day 2 draft pick they make more money than a day 3 guy. It sucks for those guys that want to play RB I get it. Play another position, be a pass rusher or a CB or better yet a WR. RB's unless you're a rare unicorn just aren't getting paid in todays NFL and even they don't make near the money as the positions I just listed.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Salary cap goes up every year.

but player's salaries don't affect it. it is what it is.

.

 

[OldSchool]

but player's salaries don't affect it. it is what it is.

.

Players salaries comprise the cap. That's what the cap is for to pay players. It goes up every year as does (usually) every players salary. These RB's feel that the portion of the cap that they take in should be bigger than what it is. In order for that to happen some other position has to take less. This is the point I've been trying to convey are we on the same page now? I get the feeling you're not following where I was going with that comment. Not trying to be a dick I just don't think you are getting what I'm saying about them wanting a bigger piece of the pie. I'm not talking about league revenue I'm talking about the cap, the RB's want a larger share of the cap.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Players salaries comprise the cap. That's what the cap is for to pay players. It goes up every year as does (usually) every players salary. These RB's feel that the portion of the cap that they take in should be bigger than what it is. In order for that to happen some other position has to take less. This is the point I've been trying to convey are we on the same page now? I get the feeling you're not following where I was going with that comment. Not trying to be a dick I just don't think you are getting what I'm saying about them wanting a bigger piece of the pie. I'm not talking about league revenue I'm talking about the cap, the RB's want a larger share of the cap.

and that's exactly what i was saying.

when evan engram signs for $14m per year while elite talent like barkley has to play for $10m there's something wrong.

.

 

[dieterbrock]

Its just so silly how the real argument keeps getting avoided. So the new CBA, the players got a much bigger piece of the pie. What did it do for the players? Not much unless you're a quarterback....
I agree with @Neil039, the answer is less guaranteed money. More incentive laden contracts. Teams will pay top dollar for an RB if they receive top dollar performance.
The Giants pissed in the punch this year. They had a chance to set the bar properly. Daniel Jones is mediocre at best and never would have seen the money he got on an open market. What team in the NFL looks at Jones and says, that guy is the piece of the puzzle that puts us over the top. Answer- none
Barkley thinks he's underpaid? He should look at the salaries of the offensive line in front of him. They'd kill to have a guaranteed 10 mill deal

 

[OldSchool]

and that's exactly what i was saying.

when evan engram signs for $14m per year while elite talent like barkley has to play for $10m there's something wrong.

.

Sorry I guess we'll agree to disagree there. I don't see anything wrong with the way players are paid. The demand is obviously at an all time low for RB and as a result they're going to get paid less.

 

[OldSchool]

Its just so silly how the real argument keeps getting avoided. So the new CBA, the players got a much bigger piece of the pie. What did it do for the players? Not much unless you're a quarterback....
I agree with @Neil039, the answer is less guaranteed money. More incentive laden contracts. Teams will pay top dollar for an RB if they receive top dollar performance.
The Giants pissed in the punch this year. They had a chance to set the bar properly. Daniel Jones is mediocre at best and never would have seen the money he got on an open market. What team in the NFL looks at Jones and says, that guy is the piece of the puzzle that puts us over the top. Answer- none
Barkley thinks he's underpaid? He should look at the salaries of the offensive line in front of him. They'd kill to have a guaranteed 10 mill deal

Players and agents aren't likely to go for those types of contracts though unfortunately.

 

[dieterbrock]

Players and agents aren't likely to go for those types of contracts though unfortunately.

Of course not, it is the viscous cycle of "get what you can get because you never know when it will turn on you".
Not wrong, but also not going to change.

 

[Selassie I]

Why aren't kickers bitching I wonder...

 

[Psycho_X]

Why aren't kickers bitching I wonder...

Now this graphic is a bit skewed... there are no backup kickers. So we're comparing starter salaries for kickers to ALL running backs (I'm assuming I did not validate these numbers). So I'm willing to bet if you compared average starting RBs to kickers the numbers would look better. But yeah your comment made me think of this graphic I just saw.

View: https://twitter.com/DezBryant/status/1681094154737025025?s=20

 

[Selassie I]

Now this graphic is a bit skewed... there are no backup kickers. So we're comparing starter salaries for kickers to ALL running backs (I'm assuming I did not validate these numbers). So I'm willing to bet if you compared average starting RBs to kickers the numbers would look better. But yeah your comment made me think of this graphic I just saw.
View attachment 60349

View: https://twitter.com/DezBryant/status/1681094154737025025?s=20

Wow... that is surprising.

No wonder they're not bitching.

 

[snackdaddy]

The problem is the short shelf life with running backs. Most of them are around 25-26 years old when they finish their rookie deals. Running backs productivity tends to dip within a couple years of that. Teams don't wanna give a 4 year deal knowing the odds are they won't be the same guy after a couple years of that deal. Is it fair? I suppose when you compare other positions its not. But its reality. Its not like aren't part of the elite 1 percent income bracket as it is.

 

[Psycho_X]

Seems relevant, an interesting average per year increase over the last 10 years by position. I think safety and edge are the most surprising.

View: https://twitter.com/Jason_OTC/status/1682083417960185857?s=20