(Art by Jack Kurzenknabe)
For the second consecutive year, reports indicate that the Pittsburgh Steelers will place the franchise tag on running back Le’Veon Bell. If Bell chooses to sign the tag, he will receive approximately $14.5m in 2018.
Earlier this offseason, Bell received media attention for threatening to sit out the season or retire if the the Steelers tagged him again, but he seems to have backed off this claim. Regardless of what Bell chooses to do come training camp, he and the team have been quibbling over a long-term contract for the past two years and will likely continue to do so unless a deal is made.
Bell has indicated that he’s seeking between 15 and 17 million a year, a number that is unprecedented in the current running back market. Last year, the Falcons inked Devonta Freeman to a historically lucrative deal that awarded Freeman $8.25m/year. How do contracts of elite running backs stack up compared against those of other positions? Take a look for yourself; here are the average yearly earnings for the top five players at each position:
Quarterback, $25.7m
Defensive Line, $17.5m
Linebacker, $16.5m
Wide Receiver, $15.7m
Defensive Back, $14.2m
Offensive Line, $12.1m
Tight End, $8.8m
Running Back, $7.2m
Kicker, $4.1m
Fullback, $2.8m
Wait, what? You’re telling me that elite running backs make less than the best players in every major position group except kickers and fullbacks? Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.
Quarterback is undoubtedly the most important position on the football field (and maybe even in American sports), so it makes perfect sense that top-tier members of this position are paid disproportionately to every other spot on the field. In terms of value to a football team, I’d say that having a great running back certainly means more than having an exceptional tight end (unless you’re talking about Gronk). A case could be made that, given their usage, running backs are the most important offensive players on the field aside from the QB. They pick up blitzes, tote the rock, catch the football, and the best ones touch the ball more than 25 times a game. Shouldn’t the player with the highest usage receive better than the eighth-best compensation for his work?
For people who deny the influence of a high-end running back, take a look at the Jags’ offense last season. They would’ve gone absolutely nowhere without the force that is Leonard Fournette, and Blake Bortles can thank Fournette for the fat contract extension he received this offseason. If not for Fournette, the Jags wouldn’t have been in the AFC Championship, and Bortles would probably be in street clothes.
In addition to influence on the field, running backs are probably the third most marketable position in the NFL (behind wide receivers and quarterbacks). Appealing players fill stadium seats, sell merchandise, and encourage national coverage for games. For example, Eagles’ center Jason Kelce was generally regarded as the best offensive lineman in 2017, but his jersey sales didn’t even sniff those of Ezekiel Elliott, Le’Veon Bell, or Todd Gurley (among others). Signing a player to a contract is quite literally making an investment in that athlete and what he can bring to the franchise, and publicity pays major financial dividends.
I understand the substantial risks involved with signing a running back to a long term deal. Halfbacks are subjected to far more physical punishment than arguably any other position on the field; last year Bell recorded an astounding 406 touches. For this reason, I’m not advocating for them to be paid more than wide receivers and linebackers. I believe that the top running backs should receive somewhere in the neighborhood of what Bell is asking for; he’s one of the best players in the league, and he should be paid like it.
(Stats via SB Nation, Pro Football Reference, and spotrac.com)
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