Over time, the NFL has become more and more of a quarterback-driven league, and as a result, many teams have emphasized the passing game instead of the running game.
In recent years, the league has become focused on wide receivers and willing to pay them huge contracts. In contrast, running backs have become less valued and almost considered disposable and interchangeable.
Teams started to believe they could put any running back in the backfield, and there was no need to pay top dollar for running backs. They also didn’t think drafting them in the first round was necessary, and there was no reason to give older running backs contract extensions. They pushed running backs aside and didn’t consider them as valuable as they once did.
Despite the recent trends, the 2024 season seems to be changing the narrative. There has been a running back resurgence as coaches are willing to hand off the ball more often and have relied on their backfield consistently. Running backs are becoming more prominent again.
Four of the top five running backs, based on rushing yards per game, are Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Joe Mixon, and Josh Jacobs, and each of their previous teams didn’t find them valuable enough to give them the contract they desired.
Despite being productive running backs, they were taken for granted by their GMs, and they all left in free agency. They are now thriving in their new situations as they help their teams win, and it will be interesting to see if the perspective and approach of GMs are corrected moving forward.
Will they also change their stance on not taking running backs in the first round, considering what Jahmyr Gibbs is doing in Detroit and Bijan Robinson in Atlanta? On the flip side, will teams stop writing off the older veteran running backs after guys like James Conner, Alvin Kamara, and Aaron Jones still produce at a high level?
We are nine weeks through the season, and the resurgence of running backs and a reminder of their value and power has been at the forefront of the storylines so far.
Considering what the running back position is teaching the league, the media, and the fans, I think there are some encouraging parallels for us to unpack.
For a while, running backs have been pushed aside and not considered valuable, and I wonder, in what ways are we guilty of doing something similar?
Have we stopped valuing meaningful relationships? Are we taking God’s Word for granted? Are we undervaluing the importance of worship and gratitude? Have we overlooked confession and accountability? Have we pushed aside a vibrant prayer life and forgotten the power of prayer?
James 5:16 (NLT) says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
As the league changes their thoughts about running backs, in what ways must we change our perspective about something in our lives? How do we need to receive correction and alter any mindsets or behaviors that have trended the wrong way lately?
Proverbs 10:17 (AMP) explains, “He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing], But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].”
As running backs remind their coaches of the importance of handing off the ball and demonstrating how they can handle a significant workload, are we embracing what it means to “hand it off” in our lives? Are we hanging onto our burdens, concerns, and problems, or are we handing them off to the One who can handle it?
Psalm 55:22 (NLT) tells us to “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
It’s exciting for running backs like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley because their resurgence means they are becoming more prominent and leading the way again.
Today, let’s allow Jesus to make a resurgence and become more prominent in our lives as we trust Him to lead us each day, reminding ourselves of His immense value and power.
I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to value the right things and correct any wrong thinking. Help me to hand off my burdens to You and to trust in Your power. I pray that Jesus would make a resurgence in my life and be prominent in every aspect of who I am and what I do. In His name, I pray, Amen.
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