brumdog44
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Reality is that the decline in running back is getting distributed to other positions.
In 2015, the franchise tag for a running back was $10.95 million. Salary cap was $143 million, so tagging a running back would mean spending 7.7% of your salary cap on a RB. The tag for the 2023 season was less than it was in 2015 -- $10.09 million. And the salary cap was $225 million, meaning a tagged running back cost 4.5% of your salary. That's a drop of 58% in terms of tagged dollar percentage toward the cap.
In terms of quarterbacks, the QB tag in 2015 was $18.5 million, or 12.9% of the cap. In 2023 it was $32.4 million on a $225 million cap, or 14.4% of the cap. A significant increase -- 12% -- but not anywhere near what we've seen in terms of running back drop. In fact, if a team tagged both a running back and quarterback in 2015 they would eat up $29.45 million or 20.6% of their cap -- actually a higher percentage of their cap than if they did the same in 2023 where the $42.49 million on the $225 million cap would be 18.9% of their cap.
Basically dollars are shifting from the run game to the passing game as teams have decided there isn't really that much difference between running backs but there are big differences between quarterbacks. Truth is, a team with an all-pro running back but bad quarterback isn't going to succeed like a team with an all-pro quarterback and bad running back.
In 2015, the franchise tag for a running back was $10.95 million. Salary cap was $143 million, so tagging a running back would mean spending 7.7% of your salary cap on a RB. The tag for the 2023 season was less than it was in 2015 -- $10.09 million. And the salary cap was $225 million, meaning a tagged running back cost 4.5% of your salary. That's a drop of 58% in terms of tagged dollar percentage toward the cap.
In terms of quarterbacks, the QB tag in 2015 was $18.5 million, or 12.9% of the cap. In 2023 it was $32.4 million on a $225 million cap, or 14.4% of the cap. A significant increase -- 12% -- but not anywhere near what we've seen in terms of running back drop. In fact, if a team tagged both a running back and quarterback in 2015 they would eat up $29.45 million or 20.6% of their cap -- actually a higher percentage of their cap than if they did the same in 2023 where the $42.49 million on the $225 million cap would be 18.9% of their cap.
Basically dollars are shifting from the run game to the passing game as teams have decided there isn't really that much difference between running backs but there are big differences between quarterbacks. Truth is, a team with an all-pro running back but bad quarterback isn't going to succeed like a team with an all-pro quarterback and bad running back.