There has been a ton of discourse on the internet streets—as well as in the traditional media—debating whether or not running backs are being fairly treated in the NFL.
Both sides make some solid points—and so it is hard to really pin down a final answer. It has to be evaluated with nuance, as no player, team, or situation is exactly the same.
So, let’s take a look around the league and see if we can pinpoint the 10 running backs that are most worth the big deal that teams are now terrified to dole out!
Derrick Henry
Derrick “King” Henry—is definitely one of the first names that comes to most people’s minds when the discussion of which running backs are worth paying gets brought up.
The Titans half-back has been a force to be reckoned with ever since he played his way into the regular rotation in 2018.
At that time, he was still splitting reps and managed to go for 12 rushing touchdowns and 1059 rushing yards.
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Once 2019 rolled around he was handed the lion’s share of the carries, well, that was when Derrick was truly crowned. He rattled off three 1500 plus yard seasons in the next four, including 2020, when he went for over 2000 yards and an insane 17 rushing touchdowns, both of which led the league.
And if you were wondering what happened in 2021—the lone year that he didn’t crack 1500 yards… Well, he missed over half the season with a broken footand still managed to total 937 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in just eight games.
Simply put, the guy is an absolute freak. He can run, he can block—and he’s improved as a pass catcher in space.
And based on how much Tennessee has built its offense around him—there is an easy argument that should get paid the big bucks.
Christian McCaffrey
When it comes to running backs these days, you really want to make sure that your favorite team is enlisting the services of a guy that can do it all.
And the San Fransisco 49ers have done just that by out bidding the Los Angeles Rams during last year’s trade deadline to bring Christian McCaffrey to the West Coast.
In 2022, the 26-year old McCaffrey rushed for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns, and added 85 receptions for 741 yards and five touchdowns—quieting all of the doubters that had started circling after his previous two seasons in Carolina had been marred by injuries.
There is legitimately nothing that McCaffrey can’t do well on the football field. Obviously, he can run—and he can block… and not only can he catch, but he can catch an elite—wide receive type of level. Pro
Football Focus rated his receiving grade at 92.4 nearly 12 full points higher than the second place back, Antonio Gibson.
Of course, it is still a little bit scary to break out the piggy bank for McCaffrey given his injury history, but if you ask me, there are few players, let alone running backs that are bigger difference makers than him on the field.
And when you get a player with that level of talent in your grasp, you simply have to do what it takes to keep him around long-term. Even if that means bucking the norm and giving a big contract to him as a running back.
Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs had himself a heck of a year in 2022 for the Las Vegas Raiders, earning First Team All Pro honors by leading the entire NFL in rushing yards with 1653 set a career-best with 4.9 yards per carry.
And before any haters jump come out of the woodwork, it wasn’t like he was doing this for some juggernaut offense with an o-line that just made his life easy either… He also led the league in tackles avoided with 103, meaning he was doing a lot of the grunt work himself.
To merely call Jacobs elusive is an understatement. He was able to avoid 26.5 percent of tackles, the third-highest total of all qualified rushers with 100 or more carriers.
Jacobs isn’t an overly powerful blocker, but he isn’t a full-on liability in the backfield during passing situations either… And he also has proven to be quite good at catching passes out in the flats and even a little bit down the field.
And finally—the kicker—as to why Josh Jacobs really deserves to get paid… He is a former University of Alabama running back… Meaning he shared the workload with several extremely talented running backs—and didn’t have to take a constant beating year in and year out like many other running backs did.
I mean, think about it… He had just 251 carries during his three-year career in at Alabama… that is nearly 90 less than he had in 2022 alone!
Between his dynamic skillset and his relatively low mileage—Jacobs is easily one of the most logical choices for a back to pay.
Nick Chubb
All in all, Nick Chubb might be the best pure rusher of the football in the entire league. Just check out his insane average of 3.94 yards after contact since entering the league in 2018… That is the most among the 129 players with 100 or more carries in that period. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-top-10-nfl-rbs-for-2023-list-headlined-by-members-of-2017-draft-class/
In 2022, he continued to showcase his talents, going for 1525 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, despite playing for a Cleveland Browns team with an absolutely putrid passing game.
The four-time Pro Bowler is a workhorse, often said to be a great teammate, and an all-around talented player, as he contributes as a blocker and receiver in addition to his rushing ability.
Enough said—someone pay this man!
Jonathan Taylor
Admittedly, it has been a bit of a mixed bag for Taylor since entering the NFL in 2020. The Colts took him at the top of the second round out of Wisconsin, where, as a Badger, he had an amazing college career averaging over 2000 rushing yards across his three years on campus.
Unfortunately, all of those carries seem to have taken at least a little bit of toll on the young running back as he has struggled to stay healthy at the NFL level. But even with that—his production has been pretty insane.
He rushed for 1169 yards and 11 touchdowns as rookie, despite starting just 13 games—then took it to a whole other level in 2021, when he led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns with 1811 and 18 respectively.
Even in a lost year like 2022, where he was banged up, playing just 11 games, and the Colts were bad—he still managed to go for over 860 yards.
The fact of the matter is that Jonathan Taylor is a special talent—and the kind of back that you can build an entire offense around. He should be on the Colts’ shortlist of guys to pay—and if they don’t wise up—you better believe someone else will. Especially if he can put together a strong bounce-back campaign in 2023.
Tony Pollard
Over the past couple of seasons, Tony Pollard has quietly become one of the most exciting running backs in the league.
He is explosive, versatile, and a game-changer. The man has averaged over 5 yards per carry across a four-year career… That is silly!
And to be honest, the only reason that he hasn’t garnered more attention yet is because he’s been playing in the gargantuan shadow of Ezekiel Elliot’s fading star.
Now that he is coming off of his first 1000 yard rushing season, which, he only started four games in—I might add—AND, perhaps more importantly because Zeke is out of the picture in Dallas… This could be a breakout year for Pollard.
While the limited usage might’ve hurt him production-wise thus far—it should certainly bode will in instilling faith in a potential suitor that he’s got more than enough mileage left to really deliver their money’s worth on a big deal!
Breece Hall
Luckily for the New York Jets, they won’t need to worry about paying their young running back for a few more years, as he’s headed into year two and still on his rookie deal…. Because when that time does come—it is looking like the 22—year old is going to be in line for a big pay day!
And rightfully so!
Before he went out with a torn ACL in 2022, he was looking like one of the most explosive running backs in the entire league—bar none.
He totaled 463 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, as well as 218 yards and one touchdown as a receiver—in just seven games. What makes that all the more impressive is how little he was really used during that stretch. Hall started just two games and really only used in spurts. To quantify that, he had just 80 attempts and 19 receptions, meaning he managed nearly 6 yards per attempt on the ground and 11.5 per catch.
If he comes back fully healthy and gets slotted into a bigger role, Hall could put up some pretty insane numbers over the next couple of years—and he will definitely deserve a big deal. And since Breece is on the younger side—he, unlike some of his peers that have battled through brutal negotiations in recent years, may actually have an easier time securing that pay day.
Austin Ekeler
How ironic is it that Austin Ekeler first got his shot in the NFL by the Chargers starting running back at the time, Melvin Gordon, finding himself at odds with the team over his contract situation and sitting out to start the season.
Now—Ekeler, who was an undrafted free agent and hasn’t gotten a big, big deal yet—is up against the same anti-running back sentiment that gave him his start.
That said… Ekeler has made an extremely compelling case to be paid handsomely. The Chargers running back led the league in touchdowns scored each of the last two seasons, making him just the seventh running back to do so since the AFL NFL merger back in 1970.
Also… To say that he’s a factor in LA’s passing game is a massive understatement. He led the league in running back catches last year with a walloping 107.
He’s now heading into a contract year and will be running like his bank account depends on it… Teams may be hesitant to sign running backs to big deals, but they ought to make an exception for a player like Austin Ekeler, who brings so much to an offense.
Najee Harris
It might not usually look super graceful, but Najee Harris always seems to find a way to get it done. On first down, short yardage situations, in the passing game—you name it. Harris always delivers for the Steelers.
And to be honest, he’s kind of done so in spite of what the Steelers front office has done to him.
I’m not sure what changed in the Steel City in recent years, but they have really neglected the offensive line in a way that is very un-Steeler-like for lack of a better term.
So, while Harris might catch some flack for having a relatively low yard per carry of 3.9 for his career—it is important to keep in the mind the context… Because it really isn’t just the o-line that has been relatively pedestrian since Pittsburgh took him 24th overall out of Alabama either…
The whole organization has been in a transitional state—especially that offense—making his accomplishments thus far in his young career all the more impressive and deserving of a pay day when his rookie deal is up.
Alvin Kamara
If you want to talk about pure explosiveness—Alvin Kamara should be at the top of your list. He runs with a rare combination of power, straight line speed, and elusiveness.
Oh… And he can catch the ball like a wide receiver can. Not just in the flats and underneath, but also down the field.
His route running is so crisp that first-time viewer would be stunned to learn he wasn’t a wide receiver all along.
There are some durability concerns with Kamara, as he always seems to miss a couple of games each year… But at least he has managed to avoid that massive season-ending type of injury thus far—and the production can’t be disputed.
He’s managed to make the Pro Bowl five times in six years—all the while—splitting time in the backfield. In fact, he’s had over 200 carries just twice in his entire career.
Granted—he’s gotten a ton of targets every year… But it is still worth noting.
Either way, Kamara is definitely one of those backs that is deserving of the big deal teams are oh-so-scared to give to running backs nowadays.
