Nov 12, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (8) reacts after getting first down against the New York Jets during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Likely no franchise tags for RBs Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard

The free-agent market for running backs this offseason is expected to be extraordinarily deep, with no franchise tags likely for numerous running backs, including Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard, according to a report by ESPN Monday.

With a franchise tag cost of $14,149,200, the Las Vegas Raiders are not expected to give it to Jacobs but are expected to try to re-sign the 2022 NFL rushing champion.

Jacobs has 5,545 rushing yards in 73 games since being drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders in the first round in 2018, including 1,101 yards from scrimmage (805 rushing, 296 receiving) and six touchdowns in 13 starts in 2023.

The New York Giants are reportedly unlikely to use the franchise tag on Barkley, which would cost $12,109,200.

The Giants are, however, expected to explore a deal with Barkley, who at the end of last season said he was “numb” to the possibility of being hit with the franchise tag for a second time and was skipping the Giants’ open-door policy exit interviews.

“I went through the whole process last year. We talked more than enough last year, to be honest. I’m gonna let my agents handle that,” Barkley said after the last game of the season.

Barkley started all 14 games he played in last season, rushing for 962 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 41 passes for 280 yards and four scores.

The Dallas Cowboys are also expected to pass on a $12,109,200 franchise tag for Pollard, according to ESPN. The Cowboys took Pollard in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In 79 career regular-season games (23 starts), Pollard has 3,621 rushing yards, 1,319 receiving yards and 28 combined touchdowns.

Other running backs expected in the free-agent market include A.J. Dillon, J.K. Dobbins, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Gus Edwards, Austin Ekeler, Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary.

Although several top running backs complained last offseason about being underpaid, they aren’t likely to grab enormous sums of money, with many teams still unwilling to pay big for running backs, despite a major increase in the NFL salary cap this year.

The league’s free-agent signing period opens March 13.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back D'Onta Foreman (21) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Bears down trio of RBs vs. Vikings

D’Onta Foreman will jump to the front of the line at running back on Sunday with the Chicago Bears ruling out three players who left last week’s win over Washington.

Starter Khalil Herbert (ankle) and backups Roschon Johnson (concussion) and Travis Homer (hamstring) were ruled out on Friday, leaving the Bears to scramble to fill out the depth chart against the Minnesota Vikings.

They re-signed Darrynton Evans earlier this week. Evans, 25, played six games for the Bears last season and rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries.

Foreman has five carries for 16 yards this season, his first with the Bears. But Foreman said he’s prepared to step into the starting role.

“A lot of people counted me out. A lot of people,” Foreman said of starting against the Vikings this week.

Herbert leads the Bears (1-4) with 272 rushing yards in his first season as the No. 1 back. The Bears parted with David Montgomery, who has 371 yards to lead the Detroit Lions, in free agency.

Foreman had five 100-yard games and averaged 4.5 yards per carry in 2022 with the Carolina Panthers. He ran for 914 yards and scored five touchdowns on the season.

The 27-year-old was a third-round pick (89th overall) in 2017 with the Houston Texans. He has 448 carries for 1,917 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career, which also includes a stop with the Tennessee Titans.

–Field Level Media

Jan 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) looks for room to run against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Chubb on RB pay: ‘There’s really nothing we can do’

A group of top NFL running backs met via Zoom to discuss the salaries being paid at the position, and Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb had a sobering message for his fellow running backs.

“Right now, there’s really nothing we can do,” Chubb told ESPN on Sunday.

Chubb confirmed to the outlet that he was among the players to take part in the videoconference on Saturday, which Pro Football Talk reported was the brainchild of Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers. Chubb said Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley were among the running backs who joined in.

The meeting came on the heels of Barkley (New York Giants), Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders) and Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys) all being unable to reach multi-year contracts ahead of the deadline for franchise-tagged players.

ESPN said the running backs brainstormed ideas but did not come up with any plans to address ways to boost their pay.

“We’re kind of handcuffed with the situation. We’re the only position that our production hurts us the most,” Chubb said, per ESPN. “If we go out there and run 2,000 yards with so many carries, the next year they’re going to say, you’re probably worn down. It’s tough. … It hurts us at the end of the day.”

Barkley and Jacobs both were franchise tagged by their teams but have not signed their franchise tenders, worth $10.09 million for the 2023 season. Pollard signed his tag and is expected to report to training camp. Barkley and Jacobs are not, per ESPN.

The average salary for an NFL running back is $1.76 million, which is about $1 million less than the average for a player on offense, according to Spotrac. The average salary for a left tackle is $8.95 million, by contrast.

McCaffrey is playing on a four-year, $64 million contract extension signed with the Carolina Panthers — the highest annual average pay at the position.

“This is Criminal,” McCaffrey tweeted about the contract situations facing Barkley, Jacobs and Pollard. “Three of the best PLAYERS in the entire league, regardless of position.”

Chubb agreed.

“We’re definitely in a tough situation, running backs as a whole,” he said. “Saquon’s a great player and you can ask anyone around the league or even on the Giants how much he means to that team. So it’s hard seeing him not get what he deserves.”

–Field Level Media

Seven From Sunday - Week 13

What to Look For – Week 9 Running Backs

PRESS RELEASE

BACK TO BACK: Los Angeles Rams running back TODD GURLEY leads the NFL with 1,151 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns (11 rushing, four receiving) through the Rams’ first eight games of the 2018 season.
 
Gurley, who led the NFL with 19 touchdowns (13 rushing, six receiving) last season, needs one receiving touchdown on Sunday at New Orleans (4:25 PM ET, FOX) to join Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (2000-01) as the only players in NFL history with at least 10 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
 
The players with at least 10 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons in NFL history:
 
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASON
RUSHING TDS
RECEIVING TDS
Marshall Faulk^
St. Louis
2000
18
8
 
St. Louis
2001
12
9
 
 
 
 
 
Todd Gurley
Los Angeles Rams
2017
13
6
 
Los Angeles Rams
2018
11*
4*
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
*Entering Week 9
 
Courtesy of NFL Communications
Seven From Sunday - Week 13

What to Look For – Week 7 Running Backs

PRESS RELEASE
 
PACE SETTER: Los Angeles Rams running back TODD GURLEY leads the NFL with 870 scrimmage yards and nine rushing touchdowns through the first six weeks of the 2018 season.
 
With 130 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on Sunday at San Francisco (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Gurley can become the fifth different player in NFL history with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in his team’s first seven games of a season.
 
The players with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in his team’s first seven games of a season in NFL history:
 
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASON
SCRIMMAGE YARDS
RUSH TDS
Priest Holmes
Kansas City
2004
1,017
13
Priest Holmes
Kansas City
2002
1,113
12
Terrell Davis*
Denver
1998
1,099
12
Eric Dickerson*
Los Angeles Rams
1983
1,045
12
Jim Brown*
Cleveland
1958
1,060
14
Todd Gurley
Los Angeles Rams
2018
870**
9**
 
*Pro Football Hall of Famer
**Through first six games of season
 
TOUCHDOWN DAVID: Arizona running back DAVID JOHNSON has 3,678 scrimmage yards and 39 total touchdowns in 39 career games.
 
With a touchdown on Thursday against Denver (8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/Amazon Prime), Johnson can become the seventh player since 1970 with at least 40 total touchdowns in his first 40 career games.
 
The players with the most total touchdowns in their first 40 career games since 1970:
 
PLAYER
TEAM
TOUCHDOWNS
Chuck Foreman
Minnesota
45
Marcus Allen*
Los Angeles Raiders
44
Larry Johnson
Kansas City
44
Eric Dickerson*
Los Angeles Rams
42
Earl Campbell*
Houston Oilers
41
Barry Sanders*
Detroit
40
David Johnson
Arizona
   39**
*Pro Football Hall of Famer
**In 39 career games
 
KEEP IT 100: New York Giants rookie running back SAQUON BARKLEY had a career-high 229 scrimmage yards (130 rushing, 99 receiving) in Week 6. Barkley has totaled at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of his first six career games.
 
With 100 scrimmage yards on Monday at Atlanta (8:20 PM ET, ESPN), Barkley would join KAREEM HUNT (2017) as the only players in league annals with at least 100 scrimmage yards in seven consecutive games to begin their career.
 
Additionally, with 100 scrimmage yards in Week 7, Barkley would become the seventh rookie in NFL history to record seven consecutive games at any point in a season with at least 100 scrimmage yards.
 
The rookies with the most consecutive games of at least 100 scrimmage yards in NFL history:
 
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASON
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 100+ SCRIMMAGE YARDS
Eric Dickerson*
Los Angeles Rams
1983
10
Edgerrin James
Indianapolis
1999
9
Kareem Hunt
Kansas City
2017
7
Kevin Jones
Detroit
2004
7
Jamal Lewis
Baltimore
2000
7
Clark Gaines
New York Jets
1976
7
Saquon Barkley
New York Giants
2018
6**
*Pro Football Hall of Famer
**Active streak
Courtesy of NFL Communications