Christian McCaffrey defends running backs, using Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley as evidence

Christian McCaffrey is the highest-paid running back in the NFL. But the 49er star doesn’t like salary trend lines he sees for his position.

So he’s imploring teams to start increasing the checks for backs like Tennessee’s Derrick Henry and the Giants’ Saquon Barkley.

“Somewhere along the line, the running back position has been undervalued, in my opinion, for what they’re asked to do,” Christian McCaffrey said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. “And I think there are a lot of guys that are scared to speak up about that for multiple reasons. I don’t know when the value of a yard got diminished.”

Then McCaffrey mentioned names.

“Derrick Henry is older than I am and that guy’s done nothing but produce,” Christian McCaffrey said. “I look at what Saquon Barkley brings to the Giants, I look at what Josh Jacobs brings to the Raiders, all these backs around the league who have done so many amazing things for their team. They’ve been clutch, they carry the ball, they catch the ball into the backfield, they provide multiple threats, they create mismatches, they make defensive coordinators think, and I think there’s a lot of value in that.”

Christian McCaffrey would love for Barkley, Henry to earn more

Still, teams aren’t willing to give the backs the quality contracts. ProFootballTalk pointed out that the supply of running backs exceeds demand. So it’s simple economics. Teams also rely on a rotation of backs basing the play mostly on the situation. And, chances are, running backs get hit more than any other player. A body can sustain so many blows before it gives out.

Barkley and the Giants had started negotiating on a long-term deal for the running back who was the second pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. But the Giants signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a big contract two months ago and placed the franchise tag on Barkley. The franchise offer is $10.01 million for the season. Yet last fall, sides had talked about a deal approaching $14 million. Sides now are at an impasse. Barkley isn’t participating in OTAs.

Even if Barkley accepts the franchise tag, it wouldn’t place him amongst the highest paid tailbacks in the league.

Top 5 highest paid running backs

1. Christian McCaffrey $16 million 49ers

2, Alvin Kamara $15 million Saints

3. Dalvin Cook $12.6 million Vikings

4. Derrick Henry $12.5 million Titans

5. Nick Chubb $12.2 million Browns

“I’m for everybody getting paid,” Christian McCaffrey said. “I love when guys earn money and are able to feed their families and have life-changing, generational-changing money. It’s such a special thing because we all work really hard. It’s fun, it’s a blessing, it really is. When I look at what receivers make around the league and then you look at what running backs make, we’re at the bottom of the list.

“You got backs who have had 2,000-yard seasons, you’ve had backs who have had 750 – 800 yards receiving, and a lot of people use the injury argument. And I don’t know if that’s necessarily valid when you look at some of the receivers who have been hurt and still get big contracts. So I understand we touch the ball the most but, in my opinion, we create a lot of value in doing so as well.”