PFSN recently sat down with NFL legend and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, and he shed some light on how he feels about “the return of the running back” in the NFL.
For years, running backs had been viewed as replaceable, and teams began looking to late-round running backs in the draft, reduced contracts, or even undrafted free agents.
However, as we’ve seen, especially in 2024, players like Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley or the tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions have more than bucked that trend.
LaDainian Tomlinson’s Thoughts on the Return of Running Backs
“Well, it’s been great. I think it’s the perfect time to showcase how important the running back position is. And it just so happened that two of the biggest guys this year that you just mentioned switched teams, [joining] two teams that really needed a running back and that really wanted to run the ball.
“Listen, football always goes in trends, right? So this is the trend now. The running game is coming back. It’s the easiest way to win,” Tomlinson told PFSN in response to a question about running backs having a big year and showcasing their value.
In a message to young running backs, Tomlinson, the 2006 NFL MVP, said, “[Jahmyr] Gibbs is a stud. But, you know, guys like Gibbs, they’re going to set the market. So what they do, the young guys will follow, and they will get what they’re able to get because Gibbs can set the market.
“I think it’s so important to understand your value. For so long, they’ve tried to devalue the running back. So now, when you have the opportunity to create value, you must do it.”
In 2024, Barkley finished third in the voting behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Allen finished third in our QB+ metric with a 91.7 grade, while Jackson finished No. 1 with a 99.8 mark.
Tomlinson was asked whether a running back would ever win MVP again, saying, “Well, for the last 20 years, if you [want to] win MVP at the running back position, you have to do something special — set a record, do something that no one has ever seen before. The last two guys at the running back position to do it are myself and Adrian Peterson.
“I mean, I broke the touchdown record, and AP went for 2,000 and almost got the Eric Dickerson record. You’ve got to do something that [people haven’t seen]. But Derrick Henry ran for 2,000 and didn’t sniff it. That’s the end of devaluing the running back. At that time, all of the talk was, ‘Oh, you really don’t need a running back.’ But at the same time, you still have to run.”
While we know Barkley finished third, Tomlinson was asked if he would’ve voted for Barkley to win the award: “Probably so. I probably would. It would be either him or Lamar [Jackson], obviously. But Josh Allen had an absolute wonderful year as well. But I think if Saquon can’t win it this year, when would a running back win?
Finally, Tomlinson was asked how many yards he’d run for in a season in the modern day, “2,600. Absolutely. I mean, I ran for 1,815 and I didn’t play a lot of the times in the fourth quarter back then. And I didn’t have 17 games, either.“
Tomlinson, as he mentioned, topped out at 1,815 rushing yards in 2006, the year he won the MVP. He also ran for 28 touchdowns and caught 56 passes for 508 yards and three more touchdowns.