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Ezekiel Elliott has dethroned Todd Gurley to become the highest-paid running back in the NFL.
On Wednesday, Elliott agreed to a six-year, $90 million contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys after a holdout that threatened to continue into the regular season. In a competition to become the highest-paid, teams have signed their running back to hefty contracts.
While these big contracts have been successful for some, others have struggled to stay healthy.
Below, we take you through the top 10 highest-paid running backs and how they have performed after signing their contract.
Performance since deal: Since signing the deal with the Cleveland Browns in 2018, Duke Johnson finished the season with three touchdowns, 47 receptions for 429 yards, and 201 rushing yards.
Those numbers were down since his previous seasons. In 2017, he had 74 receptions for 693 yards and 348 rushing yards.
Johnson was traded to the Houston Texans in August 2019.
9. Lamar Miller
Year signed: 2016
Contract: 4 years, $26 million
Average salary: $6.5 million
Guaranteed: $14 million
Performance since deal: Lamar Miller rushed over 1,000 yards for the second time in his NFL career in 2016. He continued his solid performance in 2017 and 2018, recording 12 touchdowns and 1,861 yards across both seasons. He earned his first Pro-Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections in 2018.
During the 2019 preseason, Miller tore his ACL, prematurely ending his final season under his contract with the Houston Texans.
8. Leonard Fournette
Year signed: 2017
Contract: 4 years, $27.2 million
Average salary: $6.8 million
Guaranteed: $27.2 million
Performance since deal: In his 2017 rookie season, Leonard Fournette started 13 games and finished the year with 1,040 yards rushing yards, 302 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.
Fournette injured his hamstring in the 2018 regular-season opener, which caused him to miss six games. He was also suspended for one game following his brawl with Buffalo Bills defender Shaq Larson on November 25.
In eight games, Fournette had 439 rushing yards, 185 receiving yards, and six touchdowns.
7. Jerick McKinnon
Year signed: 2018
Contract: 4 years, $30 million
Average salary: $7.5 million
Guaranteed: $18 million
Performance since deal: Since signing a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, Jerick McKinnon has yet to touch the field. He tore his ACL during a team workout in September 2018 and missed the season.
McKinnon has had several setbacks since the injury and was placed on the injured reserve list on August 31. He will require another procedure on his knee and miss the 2019 season, according to Adam Schefter.
6. Saquon Barkley
Year signed: 2018
Contract: 4 years, $31.2 million
Average salary: $7.8 million
Guaranteed: $31.2 million
Performance since deal: In his 2018 rookie season, Saquon Barkley put his name in history books as he recorded a 1,307 yards rushing season. He tied Randy Moss' league record for most 50+ yard touchdowns from scrimmage in a season and had 91 receptions – the most by a rookie running back.
Barkley set several New York Giants records, including most rushing touchdowns with 11, most rushing yards, and most total touchdowns with 15.
5. Devonta Freeman
Year signed: 2017
Contract: 5 years, $41.3 million
Average salary: $8.3 million
Guaranteed: $22 million
Performance since deal: In his first season of a new contract, Devonta Freeman record 865 rushing yards, 317 receiving yards, 36 receptions, and eight touchdowns.
During Week 1 of the 2018 season, Freeman suffered a knee injury and missed three games. When he returned in Week 5, he injured his foot and experienced soreness in his groin, which later required surgery and landed him on the injured reserve in October.
4. David Johnson
Year signed: 2018
Contract: 3 years, $39 million
Average salary: $13 million
Guaranteed: $31.9 million
Performance since deal: David Johnson signed a contract extension before the 2018 season after missing the 2017 season due to a dislocated wrist that required surgery.
When he returned to the field in 2018, Johnson finished the season with 940 rushing yards, 446 receiving yards, and 10 total touchdowns.
3. Le'Veon Bell
Year signed: 2019
Contract: 4 years, $52.5 million
Average salary: $13.1 million
Guaranteed: $27 million
Performance since deal: Le'Veon Bell takes the field for the first time with the New York Jets in a regular season game against the Buffalo Bills on September 8. This season gives Bell a fresh start after sitting out the 2018 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and a chance to prove he's worthy of being the third highest-paid running back in the NFL.
2. Todd Gurley
Year signed: 2018
Total value: 4 years, $57.5 million
Average value: $14.8 million
Guaranteed: $45 million
Performance since deal: The Los Angeles Rams extended Todd Gurley's contract in July 2018, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL before Ezekiel Elliott's new deal.
During the 2018 season, Gurley recorded 1,251 yards on 256 carries, 580 receiving yards, and 21 total touchdowns. He missed the last two games of the season due to knee inflammation, and his status was heavily discussed before the Rams Super Bowl appearance.
Performance since deal: Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys open their season on September 8 against the New York Giants. As the highest-paid running back in the league, Elliott will be pegged to continue to lead the NFL in rushing and be an offensive weapon for Dallas.
