Running backs in the NFL may have become devalued over the last decade or so, but having a good or great one is still a major advantage for a team to have.
Decades ago, the running back position was arguably the second-most important other than the quarterback spot, and it was thought that establishing a strong running game was a team’s top priority on offense.
On his podcast “Nightcap,” Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe asked Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson who the greatest running back of all time is, and while Johnson mentioned Fred Taylor and Eric Dickerson, Sharpe went with Barry Sanders.
The GOAT NFL RB is???@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @ShayShayMedia_ pic.twitter.com/eyUp5E7Nwa
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) June 24, 2024
Sanders played 10 seasons in the NFL, all of them with the Detroit Lions, and he made the Pro Bowl every year while never rushing for less than 1,100 yards in a season.
He retired with several league records, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
However, the one deficiency Sanders’ resume has is a lack of playoff success — while he made the postseason five times, his career record there is 1-5.
Many would argue that Walter Payton is the greatest running back ever, as he retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards (Emmitt Smith later surpassed him in that category) and won a Super Bowl championship in the 1985 season.
Some would say it was Jim Brown, who never won a playoff contest in his nine seasons but was practically unstoppable.
Despite how the game of football has evolved, having a great running back such as those gentlemen is still a major advantage for a team to have.
