As Bob Odenkirk’s character in I Think You Should Leave said, triples are best.
Right now Hollywood actors and writers are striking in a battle they feel will help themselves and future generations who come after them. There’s a similar thing happening in the NFL, with running backs across the league borderline ready to strike over the current state of their position group.
Saquon Barkley lit a fuse that has ignited a revolution over running backs being devalued and underpaid. Top stars like Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, and Jonathan Taylor all joined the cause, with things getting so serious that a Zoom call was organized to try and figure out how to fix the issue.
It’s an ugly battle, as any labor dispute is, something that was made evident on Wedensday when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said the quiet part out loud in terms of what NFL owners feel about the ordeal.
The wage war reached Buccaneers training camp on Wednesday when Rachaad White addressed the issue while speaking with the media.
Rachaad White weighs in on current NFL running back drama
River Wells, who does excellent work over at BucsWire, captured some quotes from White in which he gave his unique take on the situation.
As White puts it, he supports his running back brothers but knows he has work to do before he’s handed the sort of money that is being talked about.
“I’ve got a lot to go out there and prove, so it doesn’t really affect me,” White said. “I feel bad and feel sorry for Saquon , things like that. I always felt that the best players on whatever team should be paid, and he’s one of the best players in the league, so of course.”
That’s an incredible response from a guy who is in just his second year in the league. White already sounds like a veteran and he hasn’t even played a full season as the lead back yet, which is changing this year.
White is assuming RB1 duties after Leonard Fournette left in free agency, and is expected to form either a dup or triple-headed monster with Chase Edmonds and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. New offensive coordinator Dave Canales brings a run-heavy offense with him from Seattle, and running backs coach Skip Peete brings the knowledge he used to turn Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard into a wrecking crew in Dallas.
The stars are aligned for White to take a massive leap forward in his sophomore season, but it’s abundantly clear he’s not putting the cart before the horse. It might seem like a simple quote, but White’s response is an example not only of his savvy but of the sort of enviornment he’s in and the leadership that surrounds him in the Bucs locker room.
If that’s already rubbing off on him, one can only imagine the heights he’s going to soar to.