Barkley, Henry top loaded running back market
As NFL free agency gets set to open, there will be a number of high-profile running backs on the market for teams to consider signing.
The NFL’s “legal tampering period” opens Monday at noon EDT and the new league year starts at 4 p.m. Wednesday, so some players already might agree to contracts with new teams during that time frame.
Last year was a frustrating offseason for running backs, a position that is experiencing an ever-dwindling financial sway in the modern-day NFL. Two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley and 2022 NFL rushing champ Josh Jacobs failed to strike long-term agreements after being designated with their respective teams’ franchise tags.
This offseason, both Barkley and Jacobs can test the free agent market to see if other teams are willing to pay up.
Here are the top free agent running backs for 2024:
1. Saquon Barkley
Barkley, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2018 NFL offensive rookie of the year, posted three 1,000-yard rushing seasons during his six-year tenure with the New York Giants. Barkley also can be a receiving threat out of the backfield; he had a career-high 91 receptions for 721 yards during his rookie season and has collected 288 catches in his career.
2. Derrick Henry
Henry was one of the NFL’s most punishing running backs over the last few seasons. In 2020, Henry became just the eighth player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season and earned NFL offensive player of the year honors. He led the league in attempts, yards and rushing touchdowns in backto-back seasons (2019-20) and has led the NFL in carries in four seasons. In eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Henry amassed 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns rushing.
Jacobs didn’t follow up his 2022 league-leading rushing yardage season with nearly as impressive of a season with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he still will be among the most sought-after free agents. In five NFL seasons, Jacobs has rushed for 1,000 or more yards three times. His NFL-high 1,653 yards in 2022 is by far his career best. He also has 197 receptions for 1,448 yards in his career.
4. Tony Pollard
Playing behind Ezekiel Elliott for his first three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Pollard finally emerged as the team’s bell cow back in 2022 and went on to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
5. D’Andre Swift
After spending his first three NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions, Swift was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2023 draft. He responded to his new environment with his first 1,000-yard rushing season, nearly doubling his yardage total from 2022 (1,049 yards and 542).
6. Austin Ekeler
Ekeler, a popular fantasy football player, has been a dynamic playmaker over seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Ekeler has never had a 1,000-yard rushing season and has yet to earn a Pro Bowl nod. Ekeler does post impressive receiving numbers; he had a career-high 107 receptions in 2022 and a career-high 993 yards receiving in 2019. Ekeler’s careerbest rushing season came in 2022 when he had 915 yards and 13 touchdowns.
7. J.K. Dobbins
Durability is a serious concern for Dobbins, who played in just 24 games in four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He missed the entire 2021 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the preseason, suffered another knee injury in Week 6 of the 2022 season and played in just one game last season after suffering a torn Achilles in Week 1.
8. Devin Singletary
After four years as primarily a rotational back with the Buffalo Bills, Singletary signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans in 2023. He responded to his new team with a career-high and team-leading 898 yards, helping the surprising Texans win the AFC South.