Running back pay was a hot topic last offseason -- and with a plethora of talented running backs set to hit free agency in 2024, it promises to be in the news again.
We don't know yet how that issue will shake out. But we can preview the crop of ball-carriers who will be on the market, barring future developments like contract extensions and use of the franchise tag. Among them are four players who have claimed a league rushing yards title: Josh Jacobs (2022), Derrick Henry (2019, 2020), Ezekiel Elliott (2016, 2018) and Kareem Hunt (2017). The group also features other high-profile names like Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Austin Ekeler and Tony Pollard.
Today, I’m ranking the five most valuable running backs whose contracts are currently set to expire after this season, when factoring in age, production and expected compensation.
D’Andre Swift’s price tag this offseason should be much higher than the $1.774 million base salary he’s receiving in 2023, on the final year of his rookie contract. Shipped from Detroit to Philadelphia in a draft-day trade, Swift has elevated himself in the Eagles’ crowded backfield to become one of the best players at the position in the NFL this season. The 24-year-old is amid a career campaign, putting up 14.4 carries and 73.4 rush yards per game while tacking on three total touchdowns. With that rushing success added to his typically positive contributions in the passing game (3.7 catches and 18.3 yards per contest), Swift ranks seventh in the NFL in scrimmage yards (642), putting him on pace to set a new personal best in that category (1,599) in 2023.
Swift has proven he deserves a long-term deal -- I'm thinking Jonathan Taylor-like numbers -- in free agency. I get that he’s been a middle-of-the-road back in his three previous pro seasons. He also has dealt with multiple injuries over the years and has yet to play a full season. But he's young and, with less than 500 carries to his name so far, has plenty left in the tank. Sure, there's risk, but the upside of signing Swift is that he'll have more stellar seasons like we're seeing from him now.
Saquon Barkley is off to a slow start in 2023, having missed three of New York’s seven games with an ankle injury so far. But we've seen how much of an impact he has when healthy, dramatically improving the Giants' offense when he's on the field; everything runs through him, no matter who's under center. It's no coincidence that in New York's best games this season (wins over the Cardinals and Commanders in Weeks 2 and 7 and a close loss to the Bills in Week 6), Barkley logged at least 23 touches.
Anyone signing Barkley next offseason will know his injury history, and that he missed most of 2020 with an ACL tear and was slowed by an ankle injury in 2021. They'll also know he's capable of performing like he did in 2022, when he put up 1,650 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns, and the Giants reached the playoffs. Barkley inked a one-year, fully guaranteed extension with the Giants in July, but I’d be surprised if he doesn’t receive a long-term deal to his liking in the offseason -- whether from the Giants or another team. He’ll turn 27 years old in February and still has the ability to take over games and be productive if healthy. To me, that's worth investing in.
Like the two players above him on this list, Pollard is an explosive playmaker who has proven he can carry the load as an RB1, and at 26 years old, he still has plenty of tread on the tires. While his yards-per-carry mark (which sat at 5.1 entering 2023) has dipped below 4.0 this season, his contribution to the passing attack shouldn’t go without notice. Pollard already has 25 receptions, sixth-most among running backs in 2023, for 176 yards on just 29 targets through six games. His versatile skill set and ability to produce as a runner and receiver should get him paid in 2024 after he played on the franchise tag -- which earned him just over $10 million -- this season.
Austin Ekeler is one of the most versatile running backs in the league, having scored 39 scrimmage touchdowns (26 rushing, 13 receiving) since 2021. Don't be fooled by his lackluster output in 2023 (just one game of 100-plus scrimmage yards so far), which can be blamed on an ankle injury that sidelined him for half of the Chargers’ games. I don't believe his value has decreased. In fact, his production in the pass game should increase moving forward, with Justin Herbert getting pressured often and needing a reliable check-down option.
Ekeler's all-around skill set can translate to any offense. He has the ability to run between the tackles, catch out of the backfield and protect the quarterback. He’s quicker than he is fast; even as he nears the dreaded age (30) for running backs, he should continue to be useful as a third-down back, slot receiver or gadget playmaker. I see him as a starter in 2024, perhaps just not with the Chargers, not after last offseason's dispute over his contract. My guess is he'll sign a multi-year deal.
I don't quite worry about Henry like I do other running backs who are at or near the age of 30. After all, just last season, he had more than 1,500 rushing yards. His production has fallen off a bit in 2023 -- but that's not all his fault, given the poor quarterback and offensive line play in Tennessee. Henry has been a dominant force throughout his career, and he still proves tough to tackle, given his 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame. Even if he begins to slow down as he ages, he promises to be a huge asset on first and second downs and in short-yardage and goal-line situations. His ability to wear defenses down shouldn’t be overlooked.
Some might prefer reigning rushing champion Josh Jacobs at this fifth spot. Both players have been given heavy workloads over their careers, but Henry has ben more reliable over time, never averaging less than 4.2 yards per rush in a given season. Jacobs, on the other hand, has dropped below the 4.0 yards-per-carry mark twice, putting up 3.9 in 2020 and a dreadful 2.9 thus far in 2023. Given the choice, I would take Henry.
Former NFL rushing leader and current NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew will survey all running backs and rank his top 15 each week of the 2023 season. His rankings are largely based on this season's efforts. Here is MJD's list heading into Week 8.
NOTE: Arrows reflect changes from Week 7's rankings.
2023 stats: 7 games | 125 att | 598 rush yds | 4.8 ypc | 8 rush TD | 26 rec | 228 rec yds | 3 rec TD | 2 fumbles lost
Does CMC ever slow down? Despite dealing with an oblique injury, McCaffrey still managed to score a rushing and receiving touchdown on Monday, the latter being a screen pass that he took 35 yards to the end zone. Ultimately, it was not enough to save the Niners, with Brock Purdy throwing INTs in back-to-back drives late. Still, the star running back became the first player in NFL history to have a scrimmage touchdown in 16 consecutive games (including playoffs), according to NFL Research.
2023 stats: 7 games | 101 att | 514 rush yds | 5.1 ypc | 2 rush TD | 26 rec | 128 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost
Sunday night's bounce-back win against the Dolphins was a much better game for Swift than his Week 6 effort. Swift ran 15 times for 62 yards, catching all three of his targets for 13 yards. The Eagles' Week 8 matchup against Washington bodes well for Swift, considering the Commanders are giving up 126 rush yards per game.
2023 stats: 7 games | 127 att | 504 rush yds | 4.0 ypc | 7 rush TD | 24 rec | 196 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
The Jags and Etienne came out of the gates hot against the Saints in prime time. Etienne scored on a 2-yard rushing touchdown to get the scoring started and followed that with another 17-yard rushing touchdown to help put Jacksonville up by 11 points. The 24-year-old now has three straight games with multiple rushing touchdowns, the longest such streak by a player in Jaguars' history.
2023 stats: 7 games | 84 att | 474 rush yds | 5.6 ypc | 9 rush TD | 19 rec | 151 rec yds | 2 rec TD | 1 fumble lost
Philly's stout defense held Mostert to a mere nine carries for 45 yards, and he caught just one of three targets for 6 yards. The loss marked the second game this season in which Mostert had fewer than 10 carries, the other being Week 4's loss to Buffalo. It's not all that surprising, as Miami utilizes its air attack more when playing from behind.
2023 stats: 6 games | 96 att | 370 rush yds | 3.9 ypc | 2 rush TD | 25 rec | 176 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 1 fumble lost
The last three games have been a bit shaky for Pollard as a runner. He hasn't rushed for over 50 yards since Week 3 against Arizona, but he gets to face a Rams defense at home on Sunday that just allowed Najee Harris to score his first rush TD of the season .
2023 stats: 6 games | 109 att | 450 rush yds | 4.1 ypc | 6 rush TD | 13 rec | 106 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
Despite having three turnovers against the Cardinals, the Seahawks managed to get back in the win column -- largely thanks to Walker. Though his streak of games with rushing TDs ended at four, Walker had himself a day, registering season highs in carries (26) and rushing yards (105).
2023 stats: 7 games | 85 att | 325 rush yds | 3.8 ypc | 4 rush TD | 11 rec | 113 rec yds | 2 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
The Commanders are one of the more unpredictable teams in 2023. In Sunday's loss to the Giants, Robinson put up the team’s only points on a 4-yard run in the third quarter. The TD saved Robinson from sliding down this list after an eight-carry, 23-yard outing where he was outpaced by rookie Chris Rodriguez. Robinson faces a stiffer test in Week 8, with the Eagles coming to town.
2023 stats: 6 games | 66 att | 426 rush yds | 6.5 ypc | 2 rush TD | 13 rec | 113 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
Hall enters his Week 8 matchup with the Giants fresh out of a bye. That’s a good thing; considering Big Blue’s defense held the Commanders to 76 yards on the ground last week, Hall must be ready to work if he is to help take pressure off a slowly improving Zach Wilson.
2023 stats: 6 games | 98 att | 425 rush yds | 4.3 ypc | 3 rush TD | 11 rec | 117 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
I know I praised Henry's overall consistency above, but on a game-by-game basis in 2023, his performances have been hit or miss (though, again, poor offensive line play is likely a factor). With rookie Will Levis set to take on most of injured QB Ryan Tannehill's workload against Atlanta, Henry will have to be on-point coming out of the bye if Tennessee is going to have a chance.
2023 stats: 6 games | 114 att | 523 rush yds | 4.6 ypc | 4 rush TD | 15 rec | 115 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
Moss and Jonathan Taylor split the workload out of the backfield evenly in Sunday's narrow loss to the Browns. Taylor found success in the end zone and as a receiver, but Moss did not. The latter had plenty of opportunities on the ground, putting up 18 attempts, but he tallied just 57 yards (3.2 per carry). JT is finding his explosiveness again after several weeks on the sidelines, so we’ll have to monitor what this means for Moss moving forward.
2023 stats: 7 games | 100 att | 419 rush yds | 4.2 ypc | 3 rush TD | 21 rec | 163 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
Pacheco wasn't able to produce as much as usual on the ground against the Chargers, but he found success as a receiver. The 24-year-old caught four of his targets for 28 yards and locked in a Chiefs win with an 8-yard receiving score late in the fourth quarter -- his first career receiving touchdown.
2023 stats: 7 games | 88 att | 419 rush yds | 4.8 ypc | 1 rush TD | 17 rec | 186 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
Cook recorded his first receiving touchdown of the season in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Patriots. Buffalo's backfield will continue to be without Damien Harris (neck/concussion), leaving Cook as the clear No. 1 back moving forward.
2023 stats: 4 games | 69 att | 261 rush yds | 3.8 ypc | 1 rush TD | 35 rec | 177 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 1 fumble lost
Kamara enters this year’s list for the first time after a monstrous outing in the Saints' Week 7 loss to the Jags; the versatile back led the team in both rushing (62) and receiving yards (91). Kamara has been a reliable force for New Orleans since returning from his suspension.
2023 stats: 6 games | 78 att | 344 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 2 rush TD | 14 rec | 104 rec yds | 2 rec TD | 1 fumble lost
Ford sprinted down the field for a 69-yard touchdown within the first minute of a back-and-forth game against Indy. The running back slowed down after that but led the team with 11 carries and 74 rushing yards, while also adding two receptions for 20 yards. Ford did suffer an ankle injury during Sunday's win, so we'll have to monitor his status moving forward.
2023 stats: 3 games | 32 att | 112 rush yds | 3.5 ypc | 1 rush TD | 9 rec | 107 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost
JT is looking like himself again, and boy, is it fun to watch. Taylor scored his first touchdown of the season against Cleveland and showed us he still has his speed and power, finishing with 18 carries for 75 yards and the score, as well as three receptions for 45 yards. It'll be interesting to see how Indy utilizes Taylor and Zack Moss.
DROPPED OUT: David Montgomery, Lions (previously No. 11); Bijan Robinson, Falcons (No. 13); Kyren Williams, Rams (No. 14).
The Ground Index presented by FedEx ranks NFL running back performances all season long. Check out the weekly FedEx Air NFL Players of the Week and cast your vote after Sunday Night Football.