Saquon Barkley’s Giants standoff is a part of an NFL narrative — however how a lot do these operating backs actually drop off?

Possibly the “outdated” guys have some extent.

After Saquon Barkley and the Giants failed to agree to a long-term deal forward of the deadline on Monday, quite a few star operating backs throughout the NFL voiced their displeasure with the devaluing of the place throughout the league.

Veteran operating backs reportedly formed a group chat, organizing a social media blitz whereas persevering with to hunt out possible remedies to the position’s decreasing worth to executives.

A lot of that stems from a perception that operating backs decline a lot faster than gamers at different positions, given the bodily, punishing nature of the function. Gamers within the latter half of their 20s who’ve completed their rookie offers are already thought-about outdated, and groups in recent times usually have most well-liked to maneuver on to youthful, cheaper choices they consider can step in and instantly ship related outcomes.

However latest historical past exhibits the drop-off in manufacturing for veterans isn’t so fast or steep. In actual fact, usually these operating backs’ finest days nonetheless are forward of them.

Barkley is 26 years outdated and is coming into his sixth season within the NFL. Let’s check out how final yr’s top-paid operating backs (by way of common annual worth) fared of their sixth seasons:

Christian McCaffrey

Maybe the very best instance Barkley can level to as an all-round again adept at catching the ball out of the backfield, McCaffrey loved a powerful sixth season in 2022.

He completed the common season with 1,139 speeding yards and eight speeding touchdowns, each of which had been the second-highest marks of his profession. Alongside together with his 741 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns, McCaffrey’s 1,half of one mile from scrimmage had been third-most within the league, and his 13 complete touchdowns had been tied for fourth.

In actual fact, of the highest 15 gamers in complete yards from scrimmage final yr, 5 had been operating backs of their sixth season or later, three of whom made the playoffs. Solely two had been operating backs of their first two years within the league.

On the decline? Veteran operating backs are dominating the league. The place are all the kids supposedly able to the identical outcomes?

Key to McCaffrey’s output was the very fact he stayed wholesome, a difficulty that plagued him the earlier two seasons.

Within the postseason, McCaffrey’s 299 yards from scrimmage led the league as he helped carry the 49ers — utilizing their third-string quarterback — to the NFC Championship.

There’s no worth in that?

Derrick Henry

Though Henry’s sixth season was marred by harm, he returned to his dominant self in season No. 7.

Henry rushed for 1,538 speeding yards and 13 touchdowns within the 2022 common season — each of which had been second-most within the league. He stayed wholesome as properly, taking part in in 16 video games.

Amid nightmarish quarterback woes, Henry saved the Titans within the playoff image till the top of the season.

If that’s on the decline, signal me up.

Austin Ekeler

Caught in a contract deadlock just like Barkley’s, Ekeler’s sixth season final yr was his finest. And in addition like Barkley, Ekeler excels as each a runner and receiver.

He tallied 18 complete touchdowns within the common season, essentially the most within the NFL amongst non-quarterbacks. His 1,637 yards from scrimmage had been eighth-most within the league.

Ekeler was a very powerful weapon at Justin Herbert’s disposal, serving to the Chargers to a postseason berth.

Aaron Jones

Jones’ sixth season was maybe his finest as properly.

Though the Packers missed the playoffs, Jones rushed for a career-high 1,121 yards within the common season, and added two speeding touchdowns in addition to 395 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns.

His 1,516 yards from scrimmage had been the second-most in his profession and the ninth-most within the league.

If something, Jones is ascending — not descending.

Dalvin Prepare dinner

Presently unemployed after the Vikings minimize him earlier within the offseason, Prepare dinner’s sixth yr within the NFL was certainly one of his finest.

He rushed for 1,173 yards within the common season — the second-most of his profession and sixth-most within the league — and added eight speeding touchdowns, the third-most of his profession. With 295 receiving yards, Prepare dinner’s 1,468 yards from scrimmage had been Twelfth-most within the NFL.

An integral a part of the Vikings’ buzzing offense, he was key to the crew’s 13-4 file and playoff berth.

That’s not useful?

Alvin Kamara

Though he’s had legal issues off the field and the Saints crew round him has struggled, Kamara’s sixth season was largely in keeping with his profession norms.

His 897 speeding yards within the common season had been the third-most of his profession, and his 1,387 complete yards from scrimmage had been the fourth-most of his profession.

It’s his touchdowns, nevertheless, the place Kamara has manifestly dropped off. His 4 complete scores final season had been by far the bottom of his profession.

Ezekiel Elliott

The primary instance most level to when warning in opposition to paying operating backs, Elliott finds himself a free agent like Prepare dinner after the Cowboys minimize him earlier within the offseason.

He stayed considerably productive in his sixth season, tallying 1,002 speeding yards and 10 speeding touchdowns — each of which had been the fourth-best marks in his profession. However final yr, in his seventh season, he actually struggled, recording a career-low 876 speeding yards, although he did add 12 speeding touchdowns.

Receiving one of many league’s greatest workloads each season since he entered the league, ought to Elliott be thought-about the outlier, or the rule?

His counterparts counsel the previous.

Right this moment’s again web page

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Getting hotter

Is Aaron Boone beginning to really feel the warmth?

The Yankees supervisor’s demeanor has modified a bit in latest days because the crew’s latest struggles have reached a boiling level.

The Yankees (50-47) are mired in final place within the AL East, 9 video games out of first place and now 3.5games out of the ultimate wild-card spot after Wednesday’s evening’s 7-3 loss to the Angels that was lowlighted by $162 addition Carlos Rodon appearing to blow a kiss to fans jeering him behind the crew’s dugout.

“We stink proper now. We acknowledge that,” Boone said after the Yankees misplaced for the ninth time of their previous 11 video games, in certainly one of his calmer latest assessments.

In an look Tuesday afternoon on Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks podcast, Boone snapped when discussing the Yankees’ walk-off loss to the Angels the evening earlier than.

Host Jimmy O’Brien, generally known as “Jomboy,” informed Boone that he would have deliberately walked Angels famous person Shohei Ohtani within the seventh inning earlier than he hit a game-tying two-run homer.

“Whenever you handle the crew, you can also make that decision then,” Boone fired back.

Two days prior, after shedding two of three video games to the Nationwide League worst-Rockies, Boone was requested whether or not he nonetheless believed the Yankees are a championship-caliber crew.

“It’s baseball. Main League Baseball. Reserve it with that query,” Boone barked. “We received two and a half months to place ourselves able to be championship-caliber. …

“It’s a grind each time you go on the market and put a Main League Baseball uniform on. I don’t purchase into that rubbish in any respect.”

It’s a departure from Boone’s typical demeanor that’s usually regular and never overly emotional — when he’s not raging in opposition to the umpires, that’s — particularly with the media.

May or not it’s an indication the crew’s woes are lastly attending to him?

Women and gents, begin your clickers

Days after probably the most barren sports activities weeks of the yr, followers now have the alternative alternative.

Beginning 1:30 a.m. ET early Thursday morning with the beginning of the British Open, native followers might be kicking again proper now and watching about 15 straight hours of big-ticket stay sports activities on tv.

The Girls’s World Cup kicked off in a single day with co-host New Zealand’s upset victory over Norway. Australia, the match’s different co-host, performed Eire beginning at 6 a.m. ET (Nigeria-Canada additionally play Thursday ET at 10:30 p.m.).

South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht was the early chief on the British Open, which is able to run into the early afternoon, when the Mets start their collection finale in opposition to the White Sox at 1:10 p.m.

The entire British Open, Girls’s World Cup and Mets sport will likely be televised within the native broadcast space.

From the beginning of the British Open to the conclusion of the Mets sport, it’ll seemingly be round 15 straight hours of stay sports activities out there domestically to anybody who has the day without work, or can get it on brief discover.

Not unhealthy for the center of the summer season.