Just like we all expected going into the season, Zack Moss and De’Von Achane are among the top 10 rushers in the NFL. Raheem Mostert leads the league in rushing touchdowns. It’s safe to say there are a lot of random faces at the top of the rushing leaderboards so far in 2023.
This is not good for the so-called “elite” running backs in the NFL looking for big paydays. Their main argument for getting paid is that they have skill sets that can’t be replaced for cheap, which has been debated quite a bit over the past few months.
It also doesn’t help the running backs’ case that we’ve seen quite a few injuries to the position this season. The two most notable have been season-ending ones for the Baltimore Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins and Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb.
So what’s the solution? It seems like an uphill battle for running backs right now, but former Steeler Le’Veon Bell proposed a unique solution on the Not Just Football podcast with current Steeler Cam Heyward as well as Hayden Walsh.
“People view it as you can just plug another running back in. At every position, there’s always special guys,” Bell said. “I think it should be like how basketball is. If you are a first-team All-Pro, you get a supermax contract. They don’t say in basketball ‘Oh you played point guard so we can pay you this.’ You all play basketball, they go by the first team. That’s something the NFL should emulate to make it more fair.”
In the NBA, players can receive a supermax extension after meeting certain criteria. Those include having eight years of service in the league and being named to an All-NBA team either in the most recent season or two of the three most recent seasons. You can also win MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in place of the All-NBA requirement. Players are only eligible to receive a supermax from the team that drafted them or traded for them while they were on their four-year rookie contract. This is in place to try and encourage less superstar movement through the league and incentivize players to stay with their teams.
It’s certainly an interesting idea from Bell, and anything helps at this point. Running backs across the league have had multiple Zoom meetings where they likely discussed similar concepts. The main drawback of Bell’s idea is the differences in circumstances between the leagues. Many players in the NBA are considered to be worth more than the maximum contract, which is one of the things the supermax tried to fix. The running back position in the NFL has no such issues and would likely need some sort of salary floor provision added to the supermax concept, rather than just an increase to the salary ceiling.
