5 NFL Running Backs That WILL Win A Super Bowl Before They Retire…And 5 That WON’T
Everyone keeps saying that Running Back is a dying position, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t valuable to a team. An elite Running Back can take pressure off the Quarterback and help propel an offense from bad to good or good to great. It has been a big topic of discussion recently in the NFL world on if RBs deserve to be paid big time money. My vote will always be yes, because they can be an integral part of a Championship team.
Here is a list of 5 current Running Backs in the NFL who I think will win a championship, and 5 who won’t. (Note: This has a lot to do with the teams that the RBs are on, and not necessarily their talent level. QB play is a big factor also.)
WILL – Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey is in a perfect position right now in San Francisco. He is in an excellent culture with a Top 5 Head Coach in the NFL and an electric offense to go along with it. McCaffrey must make sure he stays healthy since he is such a big part of this offense, and he’s dealt with injuries before over his career. Being traded away from the Carolina Panthers was one of the best things that could’ve happened to him.
WON’T – Nick Chubb
I feel a bit bad putting him on this list, considering the gruesome injury he suffered earlier this year. But those knee injuries are tough to come back from, and especially come back from and return at the level that he was playing before the injury. He was what really made that Browns offense churn. Along with that, the Browns look like they swung and missed with the Deshaun Watson trade. They seem bound to be stuck in mediocrity.
WILL – Saquon Barkley
This is a bit of a projection, because I don’t think he will win a Super Bowl with the NY Giants. But I think he will want to go somewhere and win, so he will leave the Giants and go to a team with a Star QB and have a better chance to win a championship. New York is a mess, and they didn’t even want to give him the money he wanted in the offseason despite QB Daniel Jones having significantly better stats with Barkley than without him. Could you really blame him if he leaves?
WON’T – Derrick Henry
Henry has been the most dominant RB the last few seasons and is sure to be a Hall-of-Famer whenever he decides to hang up the cleats. But his time to win a championship may have passed unless he were to be moved to another team, which is a possibility since he Is on the wrong side of 30 and has been paid well in context to other Running Backs. The Titans have been a mess this season and have no answer at QB with Ryan Tannehill struggling. Henry deserves a championship to cap off his HOF career, but I don’t know if he’ll get one.
WILL – Bijan Robinson
Bijan is a rookie this year with Atlanta, but he has shown flashes of excellence this season despite the Falcons being extremely limited at the QB position. I fully expect the Falcons to look for a trade up in the draft for a QB, such as someone like Drake Maye, or even to trade for a veteran QB who may not be in the best situation, such as Vikings QB Kirk Cousins. Bijan with a QB that defenses fear could be exciting, since teams will be forced to not stack the box. He has a long career ahead of him.
WON’T – Alvin Kamara
Kamara’s best chance to win a championship was a couple years ago with Drew Brees and Sean Payton, this Saints team with Derek Carr and Dennis Allen is going nowhere fast. Kamara has been a fine player this season, but he is only averaging 3.75 YPC. He has been very effective in the passing offense, though. At Age 28, he still has some prime years left if the Saints were to blow their team up. He could be traded to a contender to make a good offense great and that could lead to him winning a championship, but I can’t see him winning one with the Saints.
WILL – Jonathan Taylor
Taylor has been great in his career so far and has averaged an even 5.0 Yards Per Carry despite not having mediocre QB play his entire career. From Philip Rivers, to Carson Wentz, to Matt Ryan, and now finally he may have found his long-term QB in Anthony Richardson. He is out for the season due to a serious AC Joint Sprain, but Richardson showed flashes of being an elite 2-way QB with his Rushing/Passing ability. A top QB-RB duo of Richardson/Taylor could be extremely dangerous if both continue to play at a high level. The future is bright in Indy.
WON’T – Najee Harris
Harris got drafted to an excellent situation in Pittsburgh with a very stable organization, but I don’t know if the Steelers are dynamic enough in the right positions to push them to the championship level. At the same time, Najee is also a good RB; but I’m not sure he is dynamic enough to be the featured part of a Super Bowl offense. A great complimentary piece? Definitely. The Top piece on a championship level team? I’m not so sure.
WILL – Joe Mixon
Mixon took a pay cut to stay in Cincinnati and chase a Super Bowl with Joe Burrow, and I think they have a real chance to win one within the next couple seasons. Mixon is a hard rusher and can be an effective receiver out of the backfield to compliment Star WR’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He is a 3-down kind of guy who rarely comes off the field when healthy. The Bengals haven’t been great so far this season, but with Joe Burrow under center and all the Bengals weapons healthy; anything is possible.
WON’T – Tony Pollard
Pollard is the definition of a 3-down back, a good receiver out of the backfield that can be a safety blanket for any QB under center. The issue for Pollard is that I don’t think Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is a guy that can lead “Americas Team” to the promised land. He hasn’t played well in big games despite Dallas usually having a good team around Prescott. Dallas’ defense is excellent, and Ceedee Lamb + Tony Pollard is a very good duo of weapons along with a good Offensive Line. Dallas seems to be cursed, they haven’t had any real success in almost 3 decades; and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
5 NFL Running Backs That WILL Win A Super Bowl Before They Retire…And 5 That WON’T
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