The National Football League (NFL) has had a holdout problem since halfback Jay Berwanger was drafted No. 1 overall in the 1936 NFL Draft.
Berwanger’s signing rights were quickly picked up by the Chicago Bears, who wouldn’t pay him the $25,000 he wanted over a two-year period. Berwanger would never take a snap in the NFL.
I think running backs are not as important as they used to be. The NFL has become a pass-happy league, making running backs less relevant to the game. We are not living in the 1970s when the Dolphins’ Jim Kiick, Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris helped lead the team to Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl VII victories.
Rules like pass interference and roughing the passer made the passing game more prominent. This isn’t to say guys like Berry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson and more weren’t vital to the success of the teams, but the NFL is a passing league.
The fact that running backs are less important makes it even more perplexing that they are constantly holding out. When Le’Veon Bell decided to hold out wanting more money, Steelers fans everywhere were incensed. Bell possesses a unique skill set. With that being said, was it really worth missing a whole year of play? Probably not.
When Bell sat out, he was arguably the best running back in the league. I don’t think Ezekiel “Zeke” Elliott and Melvin Gordon can say the same thing. Once these guys get paid, other positions may follow suit and it takes the media’s focus away from the players who are actually showing up and putting in the work to help the team. The NFL needs to cut down on drama because, in my mind, it takes away from the game.
