Freakonomics Radio Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore? (Update)
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Feb 4, 2026 
Jeffery Whitney, longtime NFL agent who navigated contract markets. Brian Burke, sports data scientist who pioneered expected-points analysis. Roland Fryer, Harvard economist applying data to player valuation. They unpack rule and CBA changes, analytics favoring passing, career shortness and perishability, agency shifts away from backs, and whether a running back renaissance is possible.
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LeSean McCoy On Unfair Valuation
- LeSean McCoy recounts growing up playing football and why running back skills combine instincts and study.
- He argues running backs get treated unfairly compared to quarterbacks despite often being clear difference-makers.
Analytics Favored Passing Over Running
- Brian Burke's expected-points model showed passing yields higher payoff per play than running.
- That analytics finding pushed teams to pass more and devalued running backs.
Rookie Wage Scale Shifted Leverage
- The 2011 CBA created a rookie wage scale and a four-year contract plus a fifth-year option.
- That rule gives teams cost-controlled rights for five years, reducing running backs' early earning opportunities.
