PFT: RBs Discussed Exaggerating Injuries as Contract Ploy During Austin Ekeler's Zoom

During a Zoom call organized by Los Angeles Chargers star Austin Ekeler, a group of running backs discussed the idea of exaggerating injuries when locked in a contract standoff with their teams, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.

NFL Players Association president JC Tretter first broached the topic on the Ross Tucker Podcast. He suggested a running back could theoretically hold out without receiving the associated fines by declining to work through an injury they otherwise might have shaken off.

Florio questioned whether the tactic would actually serve its intended purpose:

"As one source put it, the consensus was that this can't work for running backs, since it feeds into the narrative that they're prone to injury. (It also gives players lower on the depth chart a chance to prove that, dollar for dollar, they represent a better value than the 'injured' players they are replacing.)"

He subsequently lobbied for running backs to collectively sit out the voluntary portion of the 2024 offseason schedule and say now they intend to do as much.

You can't blame running backs for thinking outside the box at what feels like a crisis point. Players at the position have watched their value steadily diminish, and the process is continuing to accelerate.

Only three running backs signed for eight figures in free agency this offseason. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard were unable to agree to multiyear contracts with their respective teams after getting franchise-tagged.

It's simply much more cost-effective to consistently draft a new running back every few years rather than committing to a proven veteran for big money.

That's why the "hold in" strategy is probably self-defeating when it risks reinforcing how even elite ball-carriers can be replaceable.