Past Super Bowl Winners Prove the Running Back Position Is Dead
It's long been an unspoken truth in the NFL that the running back position is a dying bread.
Running backs used to be on the same level as quarterbacks, if not greater in some situations, when it comes to level of importance of a team's success.
Sure, there are still some workhorse running backs who are the main cog in their offenses machine, but if you take a look at recent Super Bowl winners, relying on a running back for the bulk of your offense seems to no longer be a winning strategy.
Take a look at the leading rusher from the last 13 Super Bowls and their base salary: pic.twitter.com/oP6ZRh7uES
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 14, 2022
Super Bowl Winning Teams Don't Pay for Running Backs
You take a look at the above graphic, you'll see that Super Bowl winning teams were not paying their leading rushers a ton of money. Instead, those teams to be spending money in other areas that are more useful, like receiver, offensive line, and defense.
It is worth pointing out that the graphic is a little bit mis-leading when it comes to the 2013 Seahawks. Percy Harvin was technically the highest rusher in the Super Bowl, but the offenses succeed all season due to the NFL-leading rusher, Marshawn Lynch, who was one of the highest paid running backs in the league.
Even with that being the case, every other team on this list was not paying top dollar for their leading rusher. That's something to think about, especially for fans of teams like the Tennessee Titans, whose entire offense revolves around the running game.
Explosive offenses and strong defenses seem to be the key to championships. This year's Rams team is a perfect example. They were 29th in yards per carry and 27th in rushing yards per game this season, yet they're Super Bowl champions.
The running back position is officially dead.