There was little offense early in the course of the Cleveland Browns–Pittsburgh Steelers Week 2 Monday Night time soccer matchup. The 2 groups performed scorching potato, turning the ball over forwards and backwards, and the top of the primary quarter needed to be performed over once more after replay assessment.
Nonetheless, there was one offensive participant who was reliable from the opening whistle, Nick Chubb.
Probably the greatest working backs within the league had run for 106 yards in the course of the Browns’ Week 1 victory in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals, and was able to go for much more in Week 2. The Browns rode Chubb early and infrequently, with him accumulating 59 yards on 9 carries in opposition to the Steelers. On his tenth carry, he ran for what is going to possible be the ultimate 5 yards of his 2023 season.
Minkah Fitzpatrick drilled Chubb straight within the knee, hurting himself within the course of. For a second, it appeared that Chubb can be alright. He seemed like he was merely dinged when one in all his teammates tried to assist him up off of the bottom, however Chubb would pull his hand away, unbuckle his chinstrap and roll over in ache. As Joe Buck knowledgeable the tv viewers that the replay of what occurred wouldn’t be proven, a collective groan from the 68,000-plus confirmed that Chubb’s knee getting mangled was not match for air. One unhealthy hit and now the 2023 season is probably going over for one of the sturdy working backs within the NFL, after solely 170 yards and simply over 5 quarters.
Chubb signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns in 2021. On the time he was league chief in yards per carry since 2018 — amongst working backs who carried the ball at the very least 150 instances — with a median of 5.23. That extension assured him $20 million and made him the fifth-highest paid working again within the league at about $12 million per yr.
His backup, Jerome Ford, took over main working again duties for the remainder of the sport and spelled out yard by yard simply why working backs don’t get compensated according to the labor required of them in the course of the season. The second-year, fifth-round draft choose rushed for 106 yards on 6.6 yards per carry. He additionally caught three passes for 25 yards and a landing, and the Browns slithered out of Pittsburgh with a 22-20 win.
Ford entered the sport and instantly was an impression participant. Ford’s base wage for 2023 — $870,000.
Lengthy-term offers for working backs could also be a non-starter, however the NFLPA has to determine a manner for these gamers to obtain some sort of hazard pay to compensate them for the pounding they take. It begins of their hometowns when they’re the perfect participant on a crew and tote the rock all sport. Then they get to varsity and coaches journey them there as properly. Years of a working again’s prime unpaid for, after which they get to the NFL. They signal a slotted deal, and if they’re nice, the crew will get the reward of the choice to franchise tag working backs till their prime is probably going full.
Chubb is 27, and when his contract expires in 2024 he will likely be 30. After struggling a significant knee damage — a second one in the identical knee, the primary occurred in faculty — it’s laborious to see the Browns providing him a multi-year one, particularly since they’re on the hook for each greenback of Deshaun Watson’s deal.
Now the Browns will start to make use of up a proficient fifth-round draft choose. If Ford retains producing they may hold giving him the ball and he won’t make $1 million in a season till 2026. Then they’ve the choice to hit him with that double franchise tag which might take him to 29. He possible received’t lead the NFL in yards per carry, and the Browns are going to be extra gun shy with regards to signing Ford to a brand new deal after coping with Watson and this Chubb damage.
There isn’t any extra hazardous place within the NFL than working again. Not solely are their careers the shortest, however as a place group, they make lower than every other participant by which collisions are a part of their job description.
In different harmful strains of labor on this nation individuals are compensated further for the bodily punishment they undergo on the clock. Working backs actually deserve some hazard pay to compensate for the contract {dollars} and size that they don’t obtain compared to their friends. They’re used as crash-test dummies. Certainly one of them breaks, after which one other one, often newer, is shipped proper again into the automobile for one more crash.
This is price some hazard pay.
