As top NFL running backs voice their displeasure with the overall state of the market at the position in 2023, even getting to the point of convening in a call together recently, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb threw his support behind New York Giants running back, Saquon Barkley.
Chubb believes Barkley, who is currently in a standoff with the Giants as the team’s training camp is set to begin, deserves more than what he’s getting via the franchise tag. He also acknowledged the “tough situation” backs face overall in this day and age when it comes to their perceived value.
“We’re definitely in a tough situation, running backs as a whole,” Chubb said Sunday, per ESPN. “Saquon’s a great player, and you can ask anyone around the league or even on the Giants how much he means to that team. So it’s hard seeing him not get what he deserves.”
Chubb, who will enter the final year of his current contract in 2024, admitted there really isn’t much players at the position can do.
“Right now, there’s really nothing we can do,” Cubb said. “We’re kind of handcuffed with the situation. We’re the only position that our production hurts us the most. If we go out there and run 2,000 yards with so many carries, the next year they’re going to say, you’re probably worn down. It’s tough… It hurts us at the end of the day.”
Chubb isn’t the first top back to voice his displeasure with the current situation, as players like the Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler and Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry have also weighed-in publicly.
While it remains unclear what approach Barkley will take moving forward, we’ll know more about where he stands when Giants veterans report to training camp on Tuesday, July 25.
