Former Steelers' Linebacker Arthur Moats On The Brutal Running Back Situation "Running Backs Are The Janitors Of The Building"

The debate of how running backs should be paid has taken the NFL by storm and the Pittsburgh Steelers are not exempt. Najee Harris is entering his third season in the NFL and conversations have already started regarding a potential extension for him when his rookie contract winds down. 

Harris added fuel to the fire with a recent tweet where he appeared to criticize the fact that the New York Giants are not paying Saquon Barkley what he feels he is worth. Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard are expressing similar frustrations. According to Dov Kleiman, they will need to play under the franchise tag for a year.  

The conversation about how well running backs should be paid is not a new one, but it is one that is ramping up as other positions, such as quarterback, are earning outrageous contracts. It is easy to see both sides of the argument. 

Running backs typically have shorter careers than many other positions, giving them less time to earn money in the league. They have one of the most physically punishing positions, taking contact from defenders nearly every play. This takes a toll on their body.

That shorter career is part of why the NFL and the owners seem to think they don't have to pay as much. There is a bigger chance they will get injured and will need a backup. But that does make it feel unfair. Wide receivers generally have much longer careers, but also have much bigger contracts. 

Running backs are speaking up now on the discrepancy between the way players are paid. The reality is running backs are the backbone of the offense. While the NFL might have become more of a pass-happy league, all teams need a running game to keep the opponent's defense honest. 

Steelers’ Arthur Moats And Terence Garvin Make Shocking Running Back Comparisons 

Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats now hosts a podcast called, The Arthur Moats Experience, and had his former teammate and fellow linebacker Terence Garvin on as a guest. With the running back contract controversy running rampant, they talked about it on a recent episode of the show. Moats asked Garvin how do you "fix" the discrepancy and how does the team decide what to pay Harris when it is time? 

Both agree that Harris really has to perform during the 2023 season. Regardless of the reason, whether it is was injury or not, Harris hasn't consistently shown "franchise" level play. Moats points out that when the team had Le'Veon Bell as a running back there was no question in his second year that he was a franchise-level player.  

Garvin says he doesn't see the situation improving for running backs anytime soon. The NFL has shown no interest in improving the way they are paid and getting all backs to stand together and refuse to play is too hard to do. Right now with quarterbacks earning such huge contracts, it means that everyone can't "eat." 

"I love running backs," says Garvin. "But in this day of spread offense, it's like basketball on grass. They feel like they can just put a wide receiver in there at running back."

Moats and Garvin both agree that it isn't that simple. To be able to play running back you have to have some football smarts and be able to read the field. You also have to be athletic and able to take a bit of a physical pounding. 

Now, they note, you see coaches playing receivers as running backs hoping to find a mismatch. Moats thinks that we need to differentiate between the kinds of running backs we have in the league and that needs to determine how they get paid.  

"You don't break the bank on RB1, you don't break the bank on run-of-the-mill guys. I'm talking about, especially a franchise running back such as Saquon Barkley, L. Bell, those types. Those are not run-of-the-mill guys, those are three or four players in one and that's the dilemma to me."  

Barkley is the best player on the Giants team according to Moats. However, he is not getting paid commensurate with that. Instead, quarterback Daniel Jones is getting over $160 million for 4 years and Barkely is making the franchise tag amount of $10.1 million. Now reports are surfacing that he is considering sitting out. Garvin doesn't disagree with the decision, noting that "business runs through Saquon."

Moats says he sees that as the issue, the league pays average to below-average quarterbacks $40 million, and an elite player like Barkley is capped at $10 million. Garvin likens it to life in America, those who work the hardest aren't always the ones that are the most rewarded. This leads Moats to make a surprising comparison. 

"I said running backs are the janitors of the building. They do all the grunt work, you need them. If they're not there, you notice it, if they're not good you really notice it, but at the same time, you're not going to pay the janitor what you pay the CEO, the manager, the director, or anybody else, even the security gets paid more, even O-line and tight end get paid before running back."  

Where do you stand on the running back debate? Do you think what they get paid is fair considering the way we pay other positions more? Comment below!

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