Former NFL RB Le'Veon Bell Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Le'Veon Bell roasts Daniel Jones in defense of Saquon Barkley

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 7/29/23

While running backs throughout the NFL raise awareness of the declining pay at their position compared to others, former All-Pro Le'Veon Bell recently went to bat for Saquon Barkley, burying New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the process.

Appearing on the "AP Pro Football Podcast with Rob Maaddi," Bell roasted Jones, calling him "mediocre" while comparing his contract (four-year, $160M) to Barkley's (one-year, $10M).

"There are average quarterbacks. He's in the bottom tier," Bell said. "I'm not here trying to talk bad about Daniel Jones. I'm just trying to be real for everybody who's hearing it. He's in the bottom tiers."

Le'Veon Bell questioned why 'top tier' running back Saquon Barkley got an $11 million deal compared to 'bottom tier' quarterback Daniel Jones' $40 million salary. pic.twitter.com/DU8CIIsAoo
— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) July 28, 2023

After Bell placed Barkley among the best at the running back position, he wondered how it made "sense" that Jones would make significantly more than Barkley, who had almost zero leverage in negotiations with the Giants.

Jones is coming off arguably one of the best seasons of his career, finishing fifth in the NFL in completion percentage (67.2) while turning in seven touchdowns on the ground. However, entering his fifth season, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone circling the Giants on their schedule because of Jones.

Meanwhile, Barkley is coming off a Pro Bowl season, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the third time in his career. Yet, the 26-year-old had to bargain, beg and plead for a new deal while still ending up on the short end of the stick.

Quarterback is king in the NFL and there's no denying that. It's a passing league, after all. But, while deals for quarterbacks continue to rise, running backs face the harsh reality that the position is no longer valued as it once was.

Recently, Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler organized a group of running backs, including Barkley, to discuss the position's state and measures to take to close the pay-disparity gap. Few answers are jumping out, but former Denver Broncos defensive back Domonique Foxworth and others have ideas. Though, whether or not the tide will eventually turn for running backs remains to be seen.

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