Running Backs' Devaluation Spells Trouble for Austin Ekeler's Next Contract
The running back position is currently at an all-time low. Despite their considerable value on the field, running backs find themselves severely devalued when payday arrives. This reality is certainly not where you want to be as a running back, especially if you're coming off a stellar season.
Unfortunately, it's the harsh truth of the situation right now. These talented players aspire to get paid their worth, but team owners seem unwilling to budge, leaving their value hurting and their payday dreams shattered.
Take notable names like Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley, and the Chargers' very own Austin Ekeler, for instance. They are all exceptional players, yet they're not getting the financial recognition they deserve. The question looming over them all is whether they will ever receive the compensation that matches their skill and contribution to the game.
NFL writer from Bleacher Report Gary Davenport weighed in on predicting contracts for these running backs including the next contract for Austin Ekeler, and unfortunately, that might be as good as it gets.
That leaves the Chargers in a tricky position with a back who will be 29 when the 2024 season starts. The franchise tag would not be well-received. A long-term deal would be highly unusual in the current market.Assuming Ekeler has another season in 2023 similar to the last two, the Chargers (or someone else) are going to face a dilemma here—and the best solution may well be a three-year deal with an "out" after Year 2.But that deal may get done after the Chargers tag him.
Projected Contract: Three years, $32.5 million, $19 million guaranteed.
The running back position has slowly turned into an expendable one, and the players affected aren't happy about it. Running backs across the league are feeling undervalued and underpaid, causing them to ponder whether being a running back is even worth it anymore.
The situation unfolding in the NFL is indeed a sad spectacle, leaving many to wonder if things will ever improve for running backs. Their roles on the field, their passion for the game, and their dedication to making plays seem to have lost some of their shine in the eyes of the league's decision-makers. The future remains uncertain, and there's no telling if there's light at the end of the tunnel.
For now, the fate of running backs like Ekeler rests in the hands of a system that seems more focused on financial efficiency than recognizing their true worth. Until a transformative change occurs, these athletes continue to pour their hearts into the game they love, hoping that one day they will indeed receive the compensation and respect they genuinely deserve.
Is this the way things are now? We're going to have to wait and see.
