The running back position and NFL free agency don't currently have a great relationship. It has become the norm for teams to avoid paying running backs long-term or lucrative contracts because of the injury risk and ease of replacing players for cheap at the position. Time and time again, teams have refused to pay their running backs. This was evident with players like Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and Austin Ekeler not getting long-term deals last offseason.
Regardless, the running back position is still one of the most important positions in football. A star running back can transform an offense, and the injury risk at the position makes depth key. Late round running back draft picks have become important to roster building in recent years, but free agency is still a great way to add to the depth chart.
Free agency starts on March 13, and the fact that teams have been unwilling to extend their star running backs means there is tons of talent at the position that is set to hit the open market. In fact, we already know that the New York Giants won't be giving the franchise tag to Barkley, which means he will be free to sign with any team. With that said, here are the 10 best upcoming free agents at the running back position.
10. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns (age 28)
Kareem Hunt led the league in rushing as a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. He then went on to become one of the best third-down backs and pass-catching running backs in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.
Behind Nick Chubb, Hunt was considered by many to be the best backup running back in the league, and for years, there were a number of teams that he would have surely started on. That is unlikely to be the case now, as Hunt will look for a new contract with a new team to likely be a backup. He can still be a good specialist that helps in the passing game, and in an era of so much passing, that can really help a team.
9. Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts (age 26)
Zack Moss filled in admirably while Jonathan Taylor was holding out during a contract dispute last season. He played so well, in fact, that he had a way bigger role upon Taylor's return than anyone would have expected. Despite playing alongside one of the best running backs in the league, Moss had the best season of his career.
Moss' 794 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns shattered his career highs, and a team will be ecstatic to add him in free agency. Because the Indianapolis Colts locked up Taylor on a massive deal, it seems unlikely that Moss will return to his most recent team.
8. Devin Singletary, Houston Texans (age 26)
Like Zack Moss, Devin Singletary started 2022 with the Buffalo Bills before finding success elsewhere in 2023. Singletary played last season with the Houston Texans, and he was a big reason that their offense burst onto the scene.
Singletary had 898 yards on the ground last season, which was also a career-high. The Texans brought in a lot of talent last year, and they are likely going to do so again this offseason. The Texans' have a young core, and Singletary is only 26 years old, which means he fits their timeline.
7. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (age 28)
Running backs have short lifespans in the NFL, and their production drops of quickly and drastically. We may have seen that already with Austin Ekeler last season. Ekeler didn't look like himself last year. He dealt with injury issues, and it led to him looking slower and less explosive. Going into last season, the Chargers were unwilling to give Ekeler a long term deal, and that decision may have been proven to be the correct choice.
It is definitely possible that Ekeler will have a bounce-back year in 2024, though. He has proven production as both one of the best rushing and pass catching running backs in the NFL. Someone will give Ekeler a shot, but it is to-be-determined if he can return to form and reemerge as one of the best running backs in the league.
6. Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens (age 28)
Gus Edwards is one of four big-name running backs from the Baltimore Ravens that is set to hit the open market, but he is the only one who is a top 10 player at his position in free agency. Dalvin Cook and Melvin Gordon are well past their primes, and J.K. Dobbins has been unable to stay healthy.
Edwards should be attractive to teams, though. He comes from the best rushing system in the NFL. The Ravens' 2,661 rushing yards were more than 250 more than the next-best running team in the NFL in 2023. While quarterback Lamar Jackson is a big reason for that, there is no denying that Edwards was the best option out of the backfield last season.
Edwards' 810 rushing yards were by far the most for a Ravens running back, and his 13 rushing touchdowns were the fifth most in the league. He is a versatile runner, as he comes from a system that uses read-option plays. A lot of teams will be interested in him, especially considering he may be cheaper than some of the other players on this list. The Ravens would be smart to bring Edwards back, though, considering how thin they would be at the running back position if he were to walk.
5. D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles (age 25)
Last offseason, the Detroit Lions chose David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs over D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. While that did prove to be the right choice, Swift still had a very solid year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Swift's 1,049 rushing yards were by far the most of his career, and he thrived in a run-heavy offense like Philadelphia's.
He had five touchdowns on the ground, but that number would have likely been much more if Philadelphia wasn't so reliant on Jalen Hurts scoring around the goal line with the “tush push.” In a contract season, Swift proved he is worthy of a long-term deal and of being the number one option on a team.
At only 25 years old, Swift will be highly coveted in free agency, especially considering some of the top free agent running backs are on the downhill turn.
4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (age 30)
For years, Derrick Henry was considered the best running back in the NFL. He is one of only eight players to run for 2,000 yards in a season. Henry is a mountain of a man with incredible strength and a gnarly stiff arm, and he is nearly impossible to take down. He is clearly on the downward trajectory, though, and the 30-year-old threshold for running backs is often the time they drop off quickly.
Henry is still a beast running in between and outside of the tackles, though. Last season was his fourth time leading the league in carries, and his 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground were some of the best marks in football.
The critique against Henry is that he isn't really a modern-day rusher. Many teams prefer a running back who thrives catching the football out of the backfield, and that isn't really something that Henry does. He is 6-foot 3-inches, 247 pounds, though, and those kind of freak of natures don't grow on trees.
Henry will forever be synonymous with the Tennessee Titans, but it seems inevitable that he will be suiting up for a new team next year. It will be interesting to see how he is used outside of Tennessee.
3. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders (age 26)
It was only two seasons ago that Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards. After gaining 1,653 yards on the ground to go along with 12 touchdowns in 2022-23, Jacobs numbers were cut in half last season. He had 805 yards and six touchdowns on the ground for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023-24.
Still, those aren't terrible numbers, especially considering how much of a mess the Raiders were for much of last season. Unfortunately for Jacobs, we are in an era where teams are rarely willing to give out long-term security to running backs. If the Raiders weren't willing to lock him up for the foreseeable future after he led the league in rushing yards, they are probably even more unlikely to do so now.
2. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (age 27)
Saquon Barkley is officially set to hit the open market. The New York Giants were unwilling to give him a long-term deal last offseason, and they instead placed the franchise tag on him. It was believed that the Giants would potentially do that again this year, but they have officially decided that they won't be using the franchise tag on their star running back.
Barkley is a former number two overall pick, which illustrates the type of talent he is, considering it is rare for running backs to be drafted so high. Barkley came out of the gates hot and had a dominant rookie season in 2018, but unfortunately, that was his best season to date.
Injuries have been Barkley's biggest problem, but he has played at least 13 games in each of the previous three seasons. While it seems unlikely that he will consistently stay healthy enough to play entire seasons, it can be looked at as a positive thing that he is suiting up more often than he is not.
With poor quarterback play around him, Barkley has been asked to carry the burden for the Giants. If he can land with a team with solid quarterback play, some of the pressure might be taken off of him, which could lead to things opening up in a big way for the still relatively young running back
1. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys (age 26)
Tony Pollard is the best upcoming free agent at the running back position. It is fair to say that Pollard actually didn't explode as much this past season as many expected him to in his first season as a full-time starter. He was still plenty productive in replacement of Ezekiel Elliot, though.
Pollard had 1,005 rushing yards, 311 receiving yards, and six total touchdowns. He actually had better numbers the year prior despite splitting time with Elliot, but a season over 1,000 yards on the ground is still considered a good year.
Pollard is still only 26 years old, and it is possible he will return to his 2022-23 form next season and blow his 2023-24 numbers out of the water. The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of important contract extensions to hand out in the near future, but losing Elliot and Pollard in back-to-back offseasons would really hurt, so it would make a lot of sense for the team to try and bring him back. However, they might be hesitant to give him a large deal considering that bit them in the butt when they gave Elliot a massive contract extension back in 2019.
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