How Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson are changing running back narrative

Christian McCaffrey addressed the situation of the devaluation the running back position in an interview earlier this year. And so far through the first quarter of the season, McCaffrey has co-signed on those comments. 

The San Francisco 49ers standout is among the front-runners for offensive MVP. Adrian Peterson is the last running back to be named MVP following the 2012 season. 

The player that many believe will be McCaffrey's heir apparent is Atlanta Falcons' do-everything running back Bijan Robinson, one of the leaders in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation. 

These two runners represent the present and the future at the position, which could lead to creating more value for running backs based on the way they are being used. McCaffrey leads the NFL in scrimmage yards and touchdowns. Robinson leads all rookies in scrimmage yards and has accounted for 36 percent of the yards from scrimmage for Atlanta. 

McCaffrey has 46 percent of San Francisco's touches, which is the most in the NFL. And he's getting a first down or a touchdown on 30 percent of his rushes. McCaffrey has scored a touchdown for San Francisco in 13 straight games, breaking the franchise record of 12 set by Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice.

McCaffrey also is the third player since 1950 with 600 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns through the first four games of the year, joining Emmitt Smith (1995) and Jim Brown (195, 1963). His 2,109 scrimmage yards since he joined the team in a mid-season trade last year is the most in the NFL. 

McCaffrey's otherworldly performance through the four weeks of the 2023vseason has even changed the perception of his teammate, 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. 

"I actually was talking about this with the D-line," Bosa told reporters. "As a D-line, I don't give too much respect to running backs usually, just because of how well we've played the run since we've been here. But I think my mind has changed on that a little bit. There's definitely some guys in the league that you really have to prepare for. And he's most definitely one of them." 

McCaffrey addressed the inequities of the position he plays back in March during an interview on the "Rich Eisen Show." 

"When you look back at history and what the running back position has meant for football, they touch the ball more than anybody," McCaffrey said. "And that was with guys like Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders, some of the best to ever do it. And these guys just didn't play for a long time, they played well for a long time. I look at Derrick Henry as another example. Derrick Henry is older than I am, And the guy has done nothing but produce.

"I look at what Saquon Barkley brings to the [New York] Giants. I look at what Josh Jacobs brings to the [Las Vegas] Raiders. Austin Ekeler, Dalvin Cook — all these backs around the league who have done so many amazing things for their team. They've been clutch. They carry the ball, and they catch the ball out of the backfield. They provide multiple threats. They create mismatches and they make coordinators think. I think there's a lot of value in that. Somewhere down the line the running back position has been undervalued for what they are asked to do." 

True to his word, McCaffrey has been a nightmare as a mismatch for opposing defenses. Per Next Gen Stats, McCaffrey has 11 catches for 66 yards in a receiver alignment and seven receptions for 75 yards and a score catching the ball out of the backfield this season.

McCaffrey has 292 yards and three touchdowns running on the perimeter and 167 yards and three scores running in between the tackles. Because of his versatility, San Francisco head coach and offensive play-caller Kyle Shanahan can use McCaffrey as a chess piece against the defense. 

If the defense aligns in traditional base personnel to match up when San Francisco uses two receivers, two running backs and a tight end on offense, McCaffrey can find a mismatch by motioning out and aligning as a receiver against a linebacker. If the defense goes to a sub-package and chooses to use a nickel defender, McCaffrey can shift from receiver to running back and the 49ers can run the football against a light box. 

While quarterback and receiver salaries have skyrocketed, running back contracts have stagnated. Five years ago, the franchise tag for running backs was $12 million, higher than it is now. During that same period, the franchise tag for receivers has increased from $16 million to nearly $20 million. Currently,v11 NFL quarterbacks make an average of $40 million a year.

The devaluation of running backs has been a bottom-line issue financially for the league. They must spend three years in college during what could be their prime earning years before becoming eligible for the NFL Draft. Once in the league, top runners like 2023 first-round selection Robinson sign cost-restrictive rookie deals that also limit their ability to hit free agency for up to five years.

Running backs typically take the most hits of any player on offense and therefore have the shortest shelf life of any player, and the position is viewed as fungible because talented runners can sometimes be found in the later stages of the draft or as undrafted free agents. 

Like Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson before him, McCaffrey's versatility adds value to an offense. It's why he's the highest-paid running back in the NFL at $16 million this season. And his skill set provides the path forward for rookies entering the league like De'Von Achane, Jahmyr Gibbs and Robinson.

Running backs like McCaffrey can age gracefully from a top running back to a productive third receiver over the life of their contract. And because of the growing popularity of 7-on-7 in youth and high school football, more running backs are developing receiver skills at a younger age, which should help them create more value at their position if they make it to the pros. 

When I talked to Austin Ekeler about the running back issue, the veteran runner said his fellow running backs had to prove their worth by continuing to produce on the field. FOX Sports NFL analyst Bucky Brooks offered that not all running backs are created equal, and players like McCaffrey and Robinson are certainly proving that so far this season.

"There's a difference between a guy who's a 1,000-yard back and a 1,500-yard back where you have to account for him," Brooks told Seattle Sports Radio 710-AM. "And so, the reluctance and the hesitancy to pay running backs will really expose some of the quarterbacks, because the better the quarterback, the lesser the need to have a high-end running back.

"So, some of these teams that are playing games with mid-level quarterbacks that are just mediocre, when you remove that running back, it will expose them." 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.