Running back Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, January 7, 2023. /CFP
Running back Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans expressed his discontent with the situation his position is facing today in the NFL – low salary and a lack of long-term deals – and insisted that running backs are "as valuable as any other position."
"It's tough right now," Henry said on Friday. "We're just trying to show that we are as valuable as any other position. They use us in commercials and all over the place. We just want our share."
Three star running backs, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys, first received franchise tags and then failed to reach long-term contract extensions with their teams. Therefore, signing the one-year tag, which is worth $10.1 million, became their only option unless they want to spend the next season unpaid.
Running back Saquon Barkley (#26) of the New York Giants in practice at NY Giants Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 27, 2023. /CFP
Pollard accepted the deal. So did Barkley after the Giants added an additional $1 million in available incentives and a $2 million up-front signing bonus to the contract. Jacobs, however, still refuses to sign it and is not in the Raiders' training camp.
Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards (1,653) last season and was voted into both the Pro Bowl as well as the First-team All-Pro. Barkley was a Pro Bowler in the 2022 season and made key contributions to the Giants' first playoff appearance in six years with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
According to overthecap.com, the franchise tag for running backs is the second-lowest among all positions, above only the $5.4 million for kickers. By contrast, the franchise tag for quarterbacks (QBs) is worth $32.4 million, not to mention that tagged QBs all signed big deals – Lamar Jackson inked a five-year, $260 million contract, including $185 million guaranteed money, with the Baltimore Ravens.
Running back Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders carries the ball in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7, 2023. /CFP
"We want the same thing," Henry said. "It seems like even if we are productive, when it comes to negotiating, it's kind of like used against us at that point."
Henry's frustration is shared by other running backs who then attended a Zoom call set up by Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers.
"There's so many legendary RBs to have, so much knowledge," Henry said. "If we were able to start something like that and just have, like, a weekend, a couple of days to suck up that knowledge from those guys and their experiences, I think that'd be great."
"Our bodies go through so much, and yet we have people who can go through years of playing. And yet, we're diminished," Jamaal Williams of the New Orleans Pelicans said. "We're the most warriors on the team. We deal with everybody, D-linemen, linebackers and DBs. Our position is where warriors is at."