By Marvin Moore October 6, 2023
The NFL has only two undefeated teams heading into Week 5. Coincidentally, both the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles have one of the league’s top running backs. Imagine that.
The running back position has been devalued by general managers in a cost-cutting move. Teams use running backs like dishwashers use sponges. Use them until they fall apart, then replace them with a new one. It’s an inhumane strategy that makes the NFL a morally corrupt organization with no conscience.
Christian McCaffrey is the league’s leading rusher with 459 yards on 80 carries. He also has 18 touches as a receiver for the 49ers. The 27-year-old is on pace for over 400 combined touches this season. The last time McCaffrey tallied 400-plus carries and receptions, he played in just 16 games over the next three seasons.
D’Andre Swift ranks second in the league with 59 rushes for 364 yards. He has averaged 19 carries over the last three weeks and is on pace for 305 rushing attempts. Swift has been injury-prone since being selected in the second round by the Detroit Lions four years ago and posted 364 carries over his first three NFL seasons.
The odds of McCaffrey and Swift playing in 17 regular season games this season are slim, and none. But that’s okay with Kyle Shanahan and Nick Sirianni. It’s all about winning games. Other sponges are waiting on the shelf. It’s a disgusting way to do business, but what do you expect from a league that preaches diversity but refuses to hire minority head coaches?
Teams that cannot run the football, especially in short yardage and goal line situations, struggle to win consistently in America’s favorite professional sports league. Even though the NFL has transformed into a pass-happy league, running the football continues to be an essential aspect of the game.
Imagine if Major League Baseball franchises allowed their starting pitchers to throw 150-200 pitches per game like they did in the past. Teams could save millions of dollars each season by signing hurlers to one-year deals and replacing them with young minor leaguers when their arms are out of gas. But unlike the NFL, players’ health is a top priority for baseball teams.
In the NBA, load management has become a hot topic recently. League teams have been sitting their top stars to keep them healthy over a grueling 82-game slate. Fans, TV Lords, and the NBA office are not happy. But just like professional baseball managers, basketball coaches care about the health of their million-dollar investments.
The 49ers, just like the Eagles, have a deep running back room. When, not if McCaffrey is sidelined with a battered body, Elijah Mitchell is the next man up. And when the backup is injured, a pair of youngsters – Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price – are next in line to be sacrificial lambs.
Philadelphia has three accomplished rushers besides Swift. Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Rashaad Penny have all produced at the NFL level. But instead of splitting the carries evenly to keep everyone healthy, the Eagles will run Swift until he breaks down. That’s the NFL way.
Commissioner Roger Goodell and his masters run a league that has a human rights record worse than the Chinese and Saudis. The only difference is that the NFL compensates its torture victims. It’s a sad reality that nobody likes to talk about.
The league could reduce running backs’ salaries by splitting the carries evenly between 2-3 backs each game. With fewer rushing attempts, ball carriers earn less money, and their injury risks decrease. But protecting players against injuries is just a marketing campaign. The almighty dollar is all that matters.
McCaffrey and Swift will continue to lead the 49ers and Eagles to more wins until their bodies cannot perform any longer. They will be discarded like old sponges. But Philadelphia and San Francisco will continue to run the football. That’s the NFL way.
