Running back is one of the most important positions in football, but teams across the NFL don't always treat players at this spot like they are important. In recent years, the position has been devalued because many general managers think ball carriers are replaceable. Not to mention, the injury risk for running backs is high, which means players at the position don't usually have super long careers.
Those factors make locking up a running back at a large rate for a long time a risky proposition. Running backs holding out for more money (and oftentimes not getting it) has become commonplace in recent years, but during the 2024 offseason, there were actually some big contracts handed out to ball carriers, especially to external free agents. With that in mind, we wanted to take a look at the 10 highest-paid running backs for the 2024 season, with average annual value being used as the figure which this list is based off of.
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers – $19 million
Christian McCaffrey is by far the highest-paid running back in the NFL this season, and it makes sense, as he is by far the best player at the position in football. In fact, we ranked him as the second-best NFL player, regardless of position. Scoring is the name of the game, and no one does it better than the San Francisco 49ers running back.
McCaffrey scored a touchdown in 17 straight games during the 2022 and 2023 campaign, which tied a league record. McCaffrey is incredibly versatile, contributing both on the ground as a runner and in the air as a receiver, and that's part of the reason San Francisco is willing to pay him so much. McCaffrey can run inside or outside of the tackles, and at times in his career, we have even seen him line up at wide receiver.
While not everyone believes in paying running backs, just about everyone would be willing to pay McCaffrey, as he provides so much more to an offense than the average running back does. Injuries are the one concern with the superstar, though, which was apparent when he was forced to miss the Niners first game of the season.
2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints – $15 million
Like McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara is an elite weapon both on the ground and in the air. In fact, Kamara is already one of the best pass-catching running backs ever. The New Orleans Saints don't use him only as a receiving threat in third-down situations, but throughout the course of every game he plays in.
Kamara already has 510 receptions for 4,246 yards and 23 touchdowns throughout his career. In an era where the passing game is such a focus, that is a huge plus for the Saints offense. Kamara is also a great runner, though. He has an additional 5,912 yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground.
Most running backs pushing 30 don't play for the same team throughout their entire careers, and while Kamara is 29, he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, meaning there's a good chance the Saints will continue employing him for the foreseeable future.
3. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts – $14 million
Jonathan Taylor's contract dispute with the Indianapolis Colts was a big deal in 2023, as Taylor was the poster boy for teams refusing to pay their star backs. Taylor held out during training camp, and he even requested a trade out of Indianapolis. Eventually, the two sides were able to come to an agreement on a new deal, and the running back will now be paid handsomely for years to come by the Colts.
Taylor led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns as recently as 2021 when he racked up 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns, but things haven't gone as smoothly since. A bounce-back campaign is expected this year since Taylor also has one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league (Anthony Richardson) lined up ahead of him, and the two form a scary rushing attack that has the potential to punish defenses all season long.
4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles – $12.58 million
Saquon Barkley is the fourth highest-paid running back in the NFL after he signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason. The former number two overall pick made a name for himself with the New York Giants, but the team prioritized paying their quarterback (Daniel Jones) over him.
That decision is already looking like a mistake. Barkley joined an NFC East rival, and he had arguably the best game of his career in his first contest with Philadelphia. Barkley scored three touchdowns in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, while Jones threw two interceptions for the Giants in a 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
During a time when the running back position is seemingly dying, Barkley is bucking the trends associated with the position. He was a top-two pick in a time when few running backs would go in the first round, and he became a highly-paid running back as a free agent despite all the concerns that come with paying running backs nowadays.
5. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers – $12 million
Another external free agent who signed a big deal with a new team this past offseason was Josh Jacobs. The 2022 rushing yards leader (1,653) is now suiting up for the Green Bay Packers Packers, and they need him more now than they ever thought they would when they signed him to his four-year, $48 million deal.
Jacobs' backup, AJ Dillon, was put on the season-ending injured reserve list because of a neck injury just days before the start of the season. Dillon's absence means that Jacobs will absorb a big workload, as he did during his time on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Quarterback Jordan Love is also expected to miss time with a sprained MCL injury, so even though we are just one game into the new season, the injury bug has already hit the Packers pretty hard. Jacobs' squad has the potential to make noise this season, but they will need to get healthy first.
6. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots – $9 million
Rhamondre Stevenson's name might come as somewhat of a surprise on this list, but the $9 million he is set to make in 2024 makes him one of the highest paid running backs for the 2024 season. Stevenson, who is now in his fourth NFL season, has shared touches with other New England Patriots halfbacks in recent seasons.
The four-year deal that the Patriots handed Stevenson in the offseason signals that they want to make him their bell cow back, though, and that was evident in Week 1. Stevenson ran the ball 25 times in their Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, whereas Antonio Gibson only received seven carries.
7. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans – $8.5 million
The offseason signing of Joe Mixon is already looking like a good one for the Houston Texans. The team went on a spending spree to improve the team after they exceeded expectations last season, most notably acquiring Stefon Diggs to give C.J. Stroud one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.
Their Week 1 matchup against the Colts proved that the Texans still want to run the football, though. Mixon picked up 159 yards in 30 carries in his first game with Houston, with both of those numbers being the highest totals across the league.
Although Mixon is getting older, he likely still has a few good years left in him. Even though he was given a huge role in Week 1, the surplus of talent on the Texans roster means that he likely won't have to carry that big of a load on a weekly basis.
T8. D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears – $8 million
Like the Texans, the Chicago Bears overhauled their offense this offseason, especially their receiving corps. The team drafted Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, traded for Keenan Allen, and signed Gerald Everett in free agency. Their additions, along with the returns of DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, make it easy to forget that they also added D'Andre Swift in the running game.
With his new team, Swift is slated to make $8 million a year. The former Eagles and Detroit Lions star gives the Bears a balanced offensive attack which makes them a potential breakout team this year.
T8. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens – $8 million
Derrick Henry is also getting $8 million per year on a new team. Henry joins the Baltimore Ravens, who also happen to have one of the best rushing quarterbacks ever in Lamar Jackson. Together, no one knows how opponents are going to stop Baltimore's rushing attack, even though Henry is a unique fit in an offense that often uses RPOs and options.
At the end of the day, Henry is a former 2,000-yard rusher who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 247 pounds. He brings the power, and Jackson brings the elusiveness. In Baltimore, Henry will look to improve upon his Hall of Fame-caliber career, as the former Tennessee Titans star truly is already one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.
10. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans – $7.25 million
The fourth straight and sixth overall running back on this list who got a big deal with a new team in the offseason is Tony Pollard. Pollard shined while sharing carries on the Dallas Cowboys with Ezekiel Elliot, but he didn't take the next step as the clear-cut top dog when Elliot left the Cowboys.
The disappointing season led the Cowboys to feel okay with Pollard walking in free agency. He joined the Titans, and it was assumed he'd go back to a running back by committee backfield alongside Tyjae Spears. Pollard was the clear number-one option in Week 1, though, so perhaps he sees a resurgence and lives up to the potential people saw in him in Dallas. After all, the Titans will be incentivized to get him the ball, considering they gave him a big contract that pays him over $7 million a season and makes him one of the highest-paid running backs in the league.
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