Running backs are the Swiss Army Knife of NFL teams.
They can gain yards by bursting through the gaps that offensive linemen create and by catching passes from the quarterback.
Therefore, those who are influential in both aspects can command the big bucks.
However, it seems like some players get paid even if they’re not performing admirably on the field.
Here are three head-scratching contracts among current NFL running backs.
It might be impossible to get another deal if they don’t deliver their money’s worth.
3. Tarik Cohen
The versatile Tarik Cohen became a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2018 when he finished the season with 1,169 total yards and eight touchdowns for the Chicago Bears.
The former North Carolina A&T standout also had 411 yards as a punt returner.
After his 994 all-purpose yards in 2019, the Bears signed him to a three-year, $17.25 million extension.
Unfortunately, his 2020 campaign was cut short by a season-ending ACL injury.
I would be surprised if Tarik Cohen plays another snap for the #Bears, personally.
The lack of injury progression is worrisome, there’s an out in his contract this offseason, and they already have Montgomery and Herbert. I think he’s as good as gone.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) November 17, 2021
He is yet to recover from that condition, prompting the Bears to place him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list before their 2021 season.
After Week 12, head coach Matt Nagy is still not optimistic about Cohen’s return.
Aside from suffering setbacks during his recovery, he needed additional surgery on his injured ligament.
Worst, David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert’s emergence might have bumped him off the depth chart.
2. Saquon Barkley
Drafting a running back too early always entails risks.
However, the New York Giants saw Saquon Barkley as a can’t-miss prospect after playing at Penn State.
After all, he finished with almost 5,600 all-purpose yards in his three seasons with the Nittany Lions.
The Giants took him second in the 2018 NFL Draft and gave him a four-year, $31 million contract.
This may be hard to believe, but Saquon Barkley's season-high in rushing yards is 57.
He has yet to hit 60-plus rushing yards this season (7 games played)!
— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) December 2, 2021
New York guaranteed the entire amount, and Barkley delivered with a solid rookie season of 2,028 total yards and 15 touchdowns.
Those numbers helped him get a Pro Bowl nod and win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The Pennsylvania native became the first running back in Giants history to have at least 1,000 rushing yards in his first two seasons.
Unfortunately, everything went downhill from that moment.
Saquon Barkley clearly hasn't lived up to his draft pick. But the last 2 seasons he's not even living up to his backups. pic.twitter.com/zglXRCD5Id
— Pete Damilatis (@PeteDamilatis) December 2, 2021
He missed all but two games in 2020 and played five games this season, tallying only 325 yards on offense.
Despite being a shell of his dominant form, the Giants will owe him $7.2 million next year after picking up his fifth-year option.
That’s a lot of money for a player in decline early in his career.
1. Christian McCaffrey
Another injury has abruptly ended Christian McCaffrey’s season.
What’s more frustrating is that he showed his explosiveness early in the season when he helped the Carolina Panthers race to a 3-0 record.
But when he initially went down to a hamstring injury, the Panthers started losing.
An ankle injury closed his season after seven games.
He has only played ten games the past two seasons, and doubt creeps in on whether he will play an entire season ever again.
Christian McCaffrey talks about being done for the season on Instagram pic.twitter.com/QKEEZAMdc6
— Unnecessary Bluntness Owner/Coach/QB (@DuncOnDemand) November 29, 2021
That possibility is depressing for a franchise that heavily relied on him.
Missing more time makes the four-year, $64 million he signed in 2020 a waste of money.
While he did convert some of his 2021 salary to free up cap space, Carolina would rather have him help on the field.
McCaffrey must have a big year in 2022 because the team might use the potential out on his contract to not bring him back.
NEXT: Kliff Kingsbury Has No Reason To Leave The Cardinals