Ole Miss' Quinshon Judkins Has 'Big Concern' over Declining NFL RB Contract Values

The franchise tag for NFL running backs has declined by $2 million over the past six years, according to Garrett Podell of CBS Sports.

Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins told ESPN's Heather Dinich that the decrease is "a big concern" for him. Judkins led the SEC with 1,567 rushing yards as a freshman last season.

"That's why I've improved my game as far as showing what I can do in the passing game," Judkins said Thursday. "... I think that as far as the next level, the way they're doing those guys is because I feel like you can only do so much at that position because of the guys who are in the league and dealing with those situations."

Star running backs Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs failed to reach long-term agreements with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively, before Monday's franchise-tag extension deadline. They are each set to make $10.091 million next season, a decrease from the 2017 franchise tag figure of $12.12 million.

"I've seen the things that they've done with the running back position and the contracts and the things in the NFL that the running backs are dealing with," Judkins said.

It took Judkins just nine games to rack up 1,000 rushing yards for Ole Miss, making him the conference's fastest true freshman since 1987 to reach the mark. He led all SEC running backs with 76 forced missed tackles and ranked among the top ten players in college football in attempts, rushing yards and yards after contact.

Those accomplishments led him to be ranked as the 15th-best player in college football by On3 heading into the 2023 season. He is likely to make less than his compatriots on that list once he makes it to the NFL.

Running backs earn an average salary of $1.79 million, per Spotrac. Only fullbacks, special teams, punters and long snappers make less on average.

Judkins is not the only running back to express concern over this pay disparity. San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry both took to social media to protest the lack of long-term deals for Barkley, Jacobs and the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard.

The Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII victory, during which the team leaned on seventh-round draft pick Isiah Pacheco, exemplified the problem for the NFL's ball carriers: teams expect to find running backs deep in the draft, so they can typically plan on that instead of signing veterans to long-term contracts.

Long-term running back contracts were trending upwards with deals like the seven-year, $96-million contract Adrian Peterson signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2011, but have declined since. NFL backs will hope up-and-coming talents like Judkins can revive that trend of big contracts for ball carriers.