Chiefs and Eagles' running back situation proves why Cowboys are making a big mistake with Ezekiel Elliot
The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in the Super Bowl, with each team boasting one of the best rosters in the NFL.
While both teams are well-rounded, their offenses are juggeranuats in their own way. Each team knows how to run the ball well, as the Eagles were a top-five team in rushing yards and the Chiefs averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
Eagles running back Miles Sanders had the first 1,000-yard season of his career, and quarterback Jalen Hurts added 760 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Chiefs were led by seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco out of the backfield. He ran for 830 yards, scoring five touchdowns and leading the team in carries. Jerick McKinnon set the record for most receiving touchdowns by a running back in a single season with nine. Former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire has 302 yards and three touchdowns but hasn't played since Week 11 due to injury.
Each team is paying their effective running backs a total of no more than $6.3 million combined for the season. The Chiefs are paying $6.3 million on their three backs this season while the Eagles are only paying $4 million for their combined backs.
The #Chiefs are paying four running backs a combined $6.3M this year.
The #Eagles are paying three running backs a combined $4M this year.
The #Cowboys paid Ezekiel Elliott $12.4M in 2022...
First-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the books for $2,951,339 and veteran Jerick McKinnon is on the books for $1.27 million. Rookie seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco accounts for just $934,000.
For the Eagles, Miles Sanders accounted for $1.7 million this season while backup running backs, Boston Scott earns $1.75 million and rookie Kenneth Gainwell earns $953,000.
Unlike the Chiefs and Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys spent a significant amount more this season on just Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot accounted for $18.2 million this season after he signed a six-year, $90 million contract in 2019.
What are the Dallas Cowboys going to do with Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard in 2023?
Elliot will currently have a cap hit of $16.7 million next season for the Cowboys. Tony Pollard, who led the team in rushing yards this past season, will be a free agent if the team can't agree to a contract extension with the emerging running back.
With Zeke accounting for nearly $17 million, the team could save around $6 million in cap space as he would leave $11 million in dead space if they wanted to give Pollard more money and save a bit.
The team is also open to potentially tagging Pollard if they opt to. There will be decisions made this offseason but the Eagles and Chiefs show that you don't need to pay a running back nearly $100 million in order to succeed and have a successful run game.