Just this past week the NFL deadline for long terms deals expired; leaving 3 of the NFL's top running backs without deals, and left to play under the franchise tag. The Giants' Saquon Barkley, the Raiders' Josh Jacobs, and the Cowboys' Tony Pollard. Dalvin Cook, formerly of the Vikings is also looking for a new team after being released in a cost savings move, and while it's unclear if compensation is the sole reason why he remains unsigned, it's probably a significant factor. Regardless, the running back market(or lack thereof) has been a touchy subject for the last couple of seasons, as the position's most elite players struggle to secure lucrative long-term deals from their respective clubs. 

While the NFL has transformed into a pass-happy space game, the value of the run game can't be ignored, as half of the last 10 Super Bowl-winning teams ranked in the Top 10 of the league for rushing. So if a solid run game can still get you to the promised land, why doesn't the NFL appreciate its premier running backs? Some might argue that the position has a short shelf life, but the RB position also translates the fastest in the NFL from college: see the hole open, hit the hole fast. Outside of somewhat more complex pass-blocking schemes than normally seen in the NCAA, a running back's talent for the pro game normally reveals itself sooner than later. Not to mention, the most talented running backs can help you in the passing game too, which takes the pressure off your quarterback, and also forces the defense to account for them further, which aids wide receivers when trying to break free downfield in coverage.

The Packers, while normally heralded for their elite passers throughout history: Starr, Favre, Rodgers, Love(just go with it), have certainly found themselves at a crossroads when it came to paying their #1 guy in the backfield. Would Green Bay, a place where the frozen tundra might give way to a run-first approach as the regular season gets into its final act serve as a RB-friendly environment? Nope! As a matter of fact, history might say "he-- no" to the idea of Green Bay ever rewarding a top-flight RB with a big-time contract.

Examine the evidence below:

1. Ahman Green

The franchise rushing leader who was so good for so long made a decent amount of scratch over his time with the Packers, but never secured a hefty payday from the folks at 1265. I honestly consider Green to be General Manager Ron Wolf's last great addition to the Packers. Traded to the team from Seattle in 2000, Green was in the final year of his rookie contract as a 3rd Round Pick back in 1998. He immediately set to work and reminded the world why Nebraska won two National Championships while he was in Lincoln, accumulating over 1,700 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. Maybe Wolf thought it was a fluke, or was hesitant to give a big deal to what appeared to be at this time an ascending player, signing Green to a 5-year, 18.3M deal; which placed him right at #11 with an average yearly salary of $3.6M. It wasn't a terrible deal at all, but what stuck out to me was the fact that the players who made more, were all on average 3-6 years older than Green who was only 24 with only LaDainian Tomlinson being younger at 22. Marshall Faulk, Jamal Anderson, Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin, Eddie George, Terrell Davis, Corey Dillon, and Tiki Barber, were all making roughly a million or more per season. In hindsight, I'd say Wolf pulled a "Slicky Boy" on Green and his agent back then.

With his new deal in place, Green gained more yards from scrimmage than any other player in the NFL through 2004. It's a wonder what he would have accomplished had he not had a thigh tear in the final year of his contract in 2005, ending his season. When 2006 rolled around, General Manager Ted Thompson was in town, and after having just gotten the Packers under the salary cap after inheriting a team that was over it, rewarding his injured top RB was not on the menu. Ahman Green was served a meager "team-friendly" deal of $2.35M for 1 year; plummeting him to the #23 highest-paid RB in the league. His elder colleagues Faulk, Martin, Dillon, and Barber were still playing and still were making more than an RB who surely had more left in the tank. Green started to find some of his old self again, compiling 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns in his age-29 season(remember this number).

But at 29, and not the Pro Bowl form that Green Bay fans and opponents had come to know, Thompson was not about to pay the veteran for his continued services. The Texans didn't mind though, signing Green to the largest contract in his career: a 4-year, $23M deal with an average salary of $5.75M. Green only saw a little less than half of that money though, as injuries and off-the-field problems crippled his success. Green returned to the Packers for 2009 in a reserve role after injuries depleted the RB room, inking back up to a paltry $845k. He would retire a Packer at the end of the season, with over 11,000 yards from scrimmage and 68 touchdowns.

2. Ryan Grant

After the departure of Ahman Green, the Packers' RB room was a mess. You'll remember names like Samkon Gado, Noah Herron, and Brandon Jackson, but nobody could seem to establish themselves as the feature back. Enter Ryan Grant, who Ted Thompson plucked off the Giants roster for a lowly future 6th Round Pick. With no real NFL game experience Grant was compensated with a very humble 1-year, $315k deal. Grant immediately proved he was the best back in the group, rushing for 956 yards and 8 touchdowns despite only starting in 7 games. He would earn his big reward from Thompson in 2007, when he re-signed for 4 years and $20M, averaging $5M per season. Green, who had just departed a year ago, was only making $750k more a season down in Houston. Grant would go on to compile just over 2,450 rushing yards in 2008 and 2009 combined before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 1 of the Packers' 2010 Championship year.

After returning to the team healthy in his age-29 season(sound familiar?), Grant was forced into a timeshare with 2nd-year wonder James Starks. Grant didn't do too bad honestly, racking up 827 yards from scrimmage while sharing the load. But after the conclusion of the utter failure of the Packers' 2011 campaign where they finished the regular season 15-1 only to be ousted by the Giants in the Divisional Round at home, Green Bay seemingly wasn't interested. Grant eventually found himself in Washington for a small fee of $750k. But once again injuries mounted for the Packers (sound familiar?) and Grant would get claimed by Green Bay after being released from the Redskins to add depth. Grant would retire from football at the end of the season.

3. Aaron Jones

Ah, here we are. The current leading back and #3 all-time in franchise history for rushing yards and #4 all-time in franchise history for rushing touchdowns (he could easily become #2 this year). Aaron Jones should easily be considered the late Ted Thompson's last great addition to the Packers(sound familiar?). Thompson, using what I call his famed "three swings at bat" approach, took Jones, Jamaal Williams, and Davante Mays to solve the dilemma the Packers were in after Eddie Lacy's fall from grace and what would soon be the abrupt departure of Ty Montgomery. Being a 5th Round Pick, Jones had a mostly standard 4-year, $2.6M deal. But he went out and got after it, posting over 1,550 yards from scrimmage with 19 touchdowns in 2019 and over 1,450 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2020 season. Jones got paid, tying with Joe Mixon at 7th in the league for RB salaries at $12M a year. It was honestly a marvel at the time that GM Brian Gutekunst, a disciple of Ted Thompson who surely revered Ron Wolf as well, would have the capacity to do such a thing given the Packers' history.

Jones had a decent time in 2021, getting over the 1,150 scrimmage yards hump with 10 touchdowns despite some nagging injuries and some very questionable game management by the coaching staff. 2022 saw him get back to his old ways with over 1,500 scrimmage yards and 7 touchdowns. While it didn't necessarily take away from his money additionally, the Packers elected to convert some of his roster bonus and base salary to a signing bonus to free up some room space under the salary cap. But in 2023, Packers' front office once again reared its ugly, shrewd heads again, with Jones being asked to take a $5M pay cut to remain with the team. 

The 2023 season is nearly upon us, and now, it's Aaron Jones' age-29(gasp!) season. While Jones remains in the Top-5 for total cash at the RB position in 2023 and doesn't become an unrestricted free agent until 2025, it's a wonder what both sides might be thinking in order to stay together, or perhaps imagine what the future looks like apart. 

With the money Jones is earning now, I doubt he eclipses it at the age of 31; and given the pay cut he's already had to endure it's eerily similar to what the Packers "got away with" in regards to Ahman Green early on in his career. With roughly only 3,000 yards to go, one should hope Green Bay allows Jones to stick around and have a crack at Green's record, if not allow him to prove he's worth the roster spot in general. A.J. Dillon might be waiting in the wings, but he's not necessarily a major threat to Jones either. It'll be interesting to see the kinds of moves the Packers make in regard to the RB room as time moves on.

Some may agree, some may disagree, but I do believe how the RB position is compensated is an issue. Whether the NFL adjusts the compensation model in regard to the franchise/transition tag, or a player/agent comes up with contract language that sets a new precedent for both players and teams, it deserves an amicable solution. You can't win, or at least win often if all 22 players don't execute as a team and at a high level. Most star running backs account for anywhere between 20% and 30% of their respective team's total offense. So shouldn't teams pay them accordingly? While I certainly respect the Packers' approach given the benefit of hindsight, I do think they could do just a little better.

Feel free to let us know how you feel in the comments.

EDIT - RB Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers is holding a Zoom Conference Saturday evening with the "big name RBs" of the league to discuss the current RB market with NFLPA Representatives on the call as well. Earlier this offseason Ekeler tried to negotiate a better deal with the Chargers before being permitted to seek a trade. However, the Chargers dictated that they wanted premium picks for Ekeler, despite his contract demonstrating otherwise his value for the team.

#GPG