Steelers GM shares honest take on running back salaries

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan didn't dance around the issue while speaking about why running backs and the position, in general, are devalued in the modern NFL. 

"You don’t have to be a mathematician to figure it out, but when quarterbacks' salaries start increasing at the rate that they’re increasing, at some point, it’s going to have a residual effect somewhere on the roster," Khan explained, as shared by Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

This offseason, alone, Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson and Los Angeles Chargers starting quarterback Justin Herbert all inked monster contract extensions. Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs could both reset the market by Week 1 this coming September. 

Meanwhile, big-name running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook were cast aside by their previous employers, while Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard had their rights retained via franchise tags and then failed to receive long-term contracts ahead of the deadline for such deals earlier this month. 

Since June, Pittsburgh ball-carrier Najee Harris has repeatedly campaigned for teams to take better care of running backs. As New York Giants backup Matt Breida recently mentioned, though, the current collective bargaining agreement that runs through the 2030 season allows teams to decide which positions get paid and which become "by committee" roster spots in a system that features a hard salary cap. 

"Every franchise is going to handle things differently," Khan continued. "It’s up to every franchise to decide how to build their roster, but eventually, that’s going to have an effect when the quarterback salaries are growing at a rate higher than what the cap is. I get it. There are ways to get around whatever the cap number is, but it’s just going to be a natural effect." 

In short: Top-tier high-school and college running backs may want to improve their pass-catching abilities to maximize their values ahead of reaching the highest level.