{"id":1981222,"date":"2023-07-24T11:37:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T15:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-stars-hold-abrupt-players-only-meeting-frustrations-rising-around-financial-state-of-key-position\/"},"modified":"2023-07-24T11:42:57","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T15:42:57","slug":"nfl-stars-hold-abrupt-players-only-meeting-frustrations-rising-around-financial-state-of-key-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-stars-hold-abrupt-players-only-meeting-frustrations-rising-around-financial-state-of-key-position\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL stars call sudden players-only meeting due to growing frustration over financial state of key position."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnfl-stars-hold-abrupt-players-only-meeting-frustrations-rising-around-financial-state-of-key-position%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1981222&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Running \u200dBacks in the NFL: A Fading Glory<\/h2>\n<p>For NFL fans\u2064 over the age of 30, it\u2019s not that hard to remember an era where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/2021-nfl-draft-round-one-recap\/\" title=\"2021 NFL Draft Round One Recap\">running backs<\/a> were gridiron\u200c kings.<\/p>\n<p>As\u2064 recently as the \u200dearly-to-late 2000s, the NFL celebrated running backs like perennial MVP candidates LaDainian Tomlinson,\u200d Shaun\u200d Alexander, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/adrian-peterson-has-a-strong-opinion-about-qb-baker-mayfield-and-brett-favre-agrees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adrian Peterson<\/a>. Even the\u2063 star \u200crunning\u200b backs who never sniffed \u2063MVP contention weren\u2019t just \u2063good, they were great players like Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Curtis Martin, and Eddie George.<\/p>\n<p>Go <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-taking-regeneron-drug-remdesivir-therapy-for-coronavirus-diagnosis-ex-wh-doctor-explains\/\" title=\"Trump taking Regeneron drug, Remdesivir therapy for coronavirus diagnosis: ex-WH doctor explains\">back<\/a> a little further \u200dand \u2064the running back dominance was even more\u200b pronounced. Legendary players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nfl-legend-jim-brown-black-community-responsibility-stop-putting-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jim Brown<\/a>, Marshall \u200bFaulk, Barry\u200b Sanders, Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, and yes, even \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/oj-simpsons-opinion-murdaugh-murders-goes-viral-thinks-defendant-made-major-mistake-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orenthal James Simpson<\/a>, were featured\u200c acts (if\u2063 not <em>the <\/em>act) of their respective teams.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to 2023? There probably \u2062isn\u2019t\u200b a\u2064 less valued position than running back \u2014\u2064 and the star \u200cbacks\u200d in \u200dthe league needed to air \u200dtheir grievances out about\u2064 it in a players-only Zoom\u2064 call.<\/p>\n<p>A large \u2063contingency of NFL\u200c running backs attended a Zoom\u200b call for the\u200c purpose of discussing, \u2063according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/38058656\/star-nfl-rbs-meet-zoom-talk-state-position\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a>, \u201cthe depressed \u200dmarket for players at their\u2063 position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The meeting was arranged by Los Angeles\u200c Chargers standout running back Austin\u200c Ekeler.<\/p>\n<h3>The \u200cElite Attendees<\/h3>\n<p>The reported attendees \u200bof the meeting reads as a veritable who\u2019s who of modern \u2062NFL running backs:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>Cleveland Browns All-Pro running back Nick Chubb.<\/li>\n<li>New York Giants two-time\u200d Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley.<\/li>\n<li>Tennessee Titans \u200csuperstar running\u200d back\u2062 and 2020 NFL Offensive\u200c Player of the Year Derrick Henry.<\/li>\n<li>San \u200bFrancisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.<\/li>\n<li>Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro running back Josh\u2063 Jacobs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear \u2064if any other running backs joined the emergency meeting, but even if nobody else did, the five aforementioned names \u200b(plus Ekeler) \u200clargely \u2063make up the consensus top\u2064 six\u2064 running backs \u200din the league.<\/p>\n<p>If those guys are\u200c struggling to find contracts commensurate with their \u2062perceived value, then \u200dwhat chance do lesser\u2064 players have?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, there\u2019s really nothing we can do,\u201d\u200c Chubb said Sunday, per ESPN. \u201cWe\u2019re \u200ckind of handcuffed with the situation. We\u2019re the only position that our production hurts us the most.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we go \u2062out there\u2062 and run 2,000 yards with \u2062so many carries, the next year\u200c they\u2019re\u2064 going\u200b to say, you\u2019re probably worn down.\u200c It\u2019s tough. \u200b\u2026\u2064 It hurts us at the end of the\u2062 day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For\u2063 the unaware, there has long been an\u2062 unofficial (but largely true) rule that anytime a running back carries the\u2063 football more than 300\u200d times in a season,\u200d he will\u2064 fall\u2062 off the following season.<\/p>\n<p>Is there an element of \u201cchurn\u200b and burn\u201d\u2063 at the\u200d modern NFL running back position\u2064 because of\u200b that unofficial rule? Without\u200c question.<\/p>\n<p>Since the days \u200bof Tomlinson, Peterson, and Brown, teams have adopted\u2062 a different philosophy when it comes to the \u2063position \u2014\u200c namely, quantity over \u200bquality.<\/p>\n<p>The basic thinking is as follows: It\u2019s \u2064far more prudent \u200dto have three\u200c above-average \u2063running backs (oftentimes\u200d with diversified skillsets) making $4\u2062 million each than a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-stars-hold-abrupt-players-only-meeting-frustrations-rising-around-financial-state-of-key-position\/\" title=\"NFL stars call sudden players-only meeting due to growing frustration over financial state of key position.\">lone superstar running back making<\/a> over $12\u2064 million a\u2062 year, no\u2062 matter how good \u200dthat star is.<\/p>\n<p>Because of that mindset, teams have \u2062been incredibly loath to give running backs \u2064lucrative deals this year (it\u2019s also \u200bwhy the average number of running backs drafted in \u200bthe first round of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/no-2-pick-nfl-draft-praises-lord-savior-jesus-live-tv-immediately-selected\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NFL Draft<\/a> has rapidly dwindled.)<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, of that aforementioned \u200b\u201ctop\u2062 six\u201d NFL running backs, here\u2019s where \u2062each player currently stands:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ekeler is in the final year of his contract, which pays him a\u2063 base salary of $6.25 \u2063million, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nfl\/los-angeles-chargers\/austin-ekeler-22247\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spotrac<\/a>. He\u2062 is seeking a\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-u-s-solar-panel-installations-set-to-crater-thanks-to-inflation-supply-chain-issues\/\" title=\"New U.S. Solar Panel Installations Set to Crater Thanks to Inflation, Supply Chain Issues\">long-term extension<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Chubb is signed through\u200c the next two seasons at $10.85 million \u200band \u2062$11.775\u2062 million, respectively, per \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nfl\/cleveland-browns\/nick-chubb-25134\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spotrac<\/a>. ESPN notes that Chubb has no guaranteed money \u200cafter this\u2064 upcoming season.<\/li>\n<li>Barkley and Jacobs have\u200d both received\u2064 a franchise tender offer\u2062 from their respective teams, but neither has signed yet. The franchise tender for running backs is worth $10.091 million.<\/li>\n<li>Henry\u2019s\u200d contract is the most complicated \u200ddue to restructuring, but \u2063he is effectively in the final year of his contract that will \u200bpay him $10.5 million, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nfl\/tennessee-titans\/derrick-henry-18994\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spotrac<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>McCaffrey, according \u200dto \u2063ESPN, is the highest-paid \u200crunning back in the league, averaging over $16\u2063 million a year on a deal\u2064 that runs through 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While those salaries are positively exorbitant for non-athletes and professional hockey players,\u200c those\u200d figures do\u2064 lack in comparison to their NFL peers \u200b\u2014 and downright pale in \u200ccomparison to the mammoth contracts doled out \u2063in the NBA and \u200cMLB.<\/p>\n<p>Running\u2064 back issues first began \u2063to noticeably bubble\u200b when a meme was shared by former\u2062 NFL \u2064star Dez \u200cBryant \u200bthat \u2064claimed NFL <em>kickers <\/em>make more (on average) than\u2063 running\u200b backs:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Can\u200d someone please explain this? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/e9XgywpOF9\">pic.twitter.com\/e9XgywpOF9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DezBryant\/status\/1681094154737025025?\">July\u2064 18, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Those numbers were confirmed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/news\/nfl-running-back-controversy-explainer-why-josh-jacobs-saquon-barkley-others-take-issue-with-pay-structure\/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20running%20backs%20currently,a%20season%20in%20the%20NFL.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS \u2064Sports<\/a>, painting a stark \u200bpicture \u200bthat kickers \u200b(a position that some, like sports pundit \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/horrific-nfl-injury-leaves-player-needing-cpr-controversial-sports-anchor-gives-worst-take-possible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Skip\u200d Bayless<\/a>, \u200ddon\u2019t even consider a\u2063 real\u2064 football position) are more valuable\u200c to NFL\u2063 teams \u200dthan running backs.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s\u200d a crazy reality to grapple with, especially for NFL \u200bfans over \u200bthe age of \u206430.\u200b Imagine making the case for why Mart\u00edn Gram\u00e1tica deserves a more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-budget-deficit-hits-record-1-7t-as-spending-soars\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s budget deficit hits record .7T as spending soars\">lucrative contract<\/a> than fellow Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warrick Dunn back in 1999.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, as \u2063evidenced by this emergency zoom call \u200cof the \u2064NFL\u2019s elite running backs,\u2062 it does indeed appear\u2064 to be\u200b a reality that\u2019s settling \u2062in.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nfl-stars-hold-abrupt-players-meeting-frustrations-rising-around-financial-state-key-position\/\">NFL Stars Hold Abrupt \u200bPlayers-Only Meeting: Frustrations Rising \u2062Around Financial \u2062State \u2063of \u2064Key Position<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The\u2063 Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For NFL fans above 30, recalling a time when running backs ruled is not difficult. In the early-to-late 2000s, players like LaDainian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander, and Adrian Peterson were celebrated as MVP contenders. Even lesser-known star running backs were highly regarded, despite not being in the MVP race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2015,"featured_media":1981223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1981222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1981222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2015"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1981222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1981222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1981223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1981222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1981222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1981222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}