Drew Bledsoe breaks down the AFC East and who he likes to come out on top
Mackenzie Salmon spoke with NFL great Drew Bledsoe about the stacked AFC East and what makes each team unique.
Sports Seriously
Saquon Barkley was one of the most sought-after free agents during this offseason.
Still, the three-year, $37.75 million contract he received from the Philadelphia Eagles was not enough to make him one of the top three highest-paid running backs in the league.
Just below Barkley on the highest-paid list at the position are some other running backs who got big contracts with new teams: Josh Jacobs (with the Green Bay Packers), Joe Mixon (with the Houston Texans), D’Andre Swift (with the Chicago Bears), Derrick Henry (with the Baltimore Ravens) and Tony Pollard (with the Tennessee Titans).
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The San Francisco 49ers‘ Christian McCaffrey signed a four-year contract extension with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. His 2022 trade put the onus on the 49ers to absorb the richest deal given to a running back.
Here are the running back salary rankings for the 2024 season based on average annual value, according to Over The Cap:
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers: $16 million (4 years, $64.06 million)
2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints: $15 million (5 years, $75 million)
3. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: $14 million (3 years, $42 million)
4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles: $12.6 million (3 years, $37.8 million)
5. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: $12 million (4 years, $48 million)
6. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans: $9.9 million (2 years, $19.8 million)
7. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots: $9 million (4 years, $36 million)
8 (tie). D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears: $8 million (3 years, $24 million)
8 (tie). Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens: $8 million (2 years, $16 million)
10. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans: $7.3 million (3 years, $21.8 million)
11 (tie). James Conner, Arizona Cardinals: $7 million (3 years, $21 million)
11 (tie). Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings: $7 million (1 year, $7 million)
13. Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers: $6.4 million (4 years, $25.4 million)
14. Devin Singletary, New York Giants: $5.5 million (3 years, $16.5 million)
15. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: $5.5 million (4 years, $21.9 million)
16. Kyle Juszczyk (FB), San Francisco 49ers: $4.6 million (2 years, $9.1 million)
17. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions: $4.5 million (4 years, $17.8 million)
18. Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: $4.2 million (2 years, $8.4 million)
19. Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins: $4.13 million (1 year, $4.1 million)
20. Alec Ingold (FB), Miami Dolphins: $4.07 million (3 years, $12.2 million)
21 (tie). Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints: $4 million (3 years, $12 million)
21 (tie). Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals: $4 million (2 years, $8 million)
23 (tie). Patrick Ricard (FB), Baltimore Ravens: $3.8 million (3 years, $11.3 million)
23 (tie). Antonio Gibson, New England Patriots: $3.8 million (3 years, $11.3 million)
25. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers: $3.3 million (4 years, $13 million)
26. Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers: $3.3 million (2 years, $6.5 million)
27. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars: $3.2 million (4 years, $12.9 million)
28 (tie). Deejay Dallas, Arizona Cardinals: $2.8 million (3 years, $8.3 million)
28 (tie). C.J. Ham (FB), Minnesota Vikings: $2.8 million (2 years, $5.6 million)
30. A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers: $2.7 million (1 year, $2.7 million)
31. Reggie Gilliam (FB), Buffalo Bills: $2.3 million (2 years, $4.6 million)
32. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: $2.28 million (1 year, $2.28 million)
33. Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens: $2.26 million (2 years, $4.5 million)
34. Breece Hall, New York Jets: $2.25 million (4 years, $9 million)
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