JR SportBrief Hour 2

And I am coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia.

Shout out to everybody tuned in all over North America. You don't gotta be here in Atlanta with me. You could be in Toronto, you could be in Miami, you could be in San Antonio. Shout out to Seattle. What's up Portland? Portland has some good beer. I need to go back to Portland. What's up San Diego, Idaho, Montana, Chicago. I feel like I just spoke, yeah I did speak to a guy from Chicago.

I really did. Just a few minutes ago. Well anyway, it don't matter where you at, thank you for tuning in. I've been hanging out here with you for one hour already. Time flies when you're having fun. I got three more hours to go. So enjoy it. If you missed a minute of the show so far, you can always hit rewind on the free Odyssey app.

Knock yourself out. Thank you to everybody tuned in on your local CBS Sports Radio affiliate. You can always tune in on Sirius XM Channel 158. That's what I do when I'm in my car. And at the same time, if you got a smart speaker, be smart. Just ask it to play CBS Sports Radio. Whatever you call that device. I don't know what you got in your house.

Go for it, okay? Hey, Jack Stern is holding it down for us on the boards in New York City. And then we got people holding it down just all over the country. Yeah, you. You listeners, you're a part of the show too. No show without you. It's Wednesday night. So a few things here. You know this already.

Or you should know this. And if you haven't heard the show, Hey, welcome. Every Wednesday night, I bring you a new top six list. Tonight will be no different. An hour from now, with all of the talk about money and contracts and big money in the world of sports, we're going to look at the worst part of it.

We're going to look at some individuals who were handed and given and received some of the worst sports contracts ever. That's coming an hour from now, so you don't have to wait too much longer. I told you time flies when you're having fun, and I'm the king of fun. Really, I am. Anyway, last hour we talked about Aaron Rodgers giving back $35 million to the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers just like, listen, man, I'm on my way out the door. I made enough money.

I can buy more ayahuasca and do more fancy plant drugs before I leave. I don't need more money. Aaron Rodgers is trying to help himself out with the New York Jets. Tyreek Hill, almost 30 years old, trying to help himself out. I don't want to say he apologized. He said he needs to move on from making boneheaded mistakes after he slapped a marina employee in the back of the head and had to come to a settlement.

No criminal charges. I told you he settled with the guy, and now he just waits to see whether or not he will receive a suspension from the NFL. Some good news. Bryce Young, quarterback one, QB one, starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. Why wait, right?

See what the guy can do. What the hell you gonna put Andy Dalton out there for? To start and then sit him so he can be miserable? Let Andy Dalton carry Bryce Young's water. Nothing wrong with that.

You gotta get there eventually, so good for Bryce Young. Now, we gonna get to brass tacks, ok? But before we talk about these running backs, Najee Harris, and the owner who basically said shut the hell up and stop complaining, he didn't say that, I did. If you want to talk to me, it's 855-2124CBS, that's 855-2124CBS.

You can also get a hold of me, I'm on social media everywhere, at JR Sport Brief. Now, we can talk about the running backs. Yes, they've already been a point of conversation over the past several days, over the past several weeks. We are long gone from the days of the running back is the most important player on the team. This is not Barry Sanders, this is not OJ Simpson, this is not Earl Campbell.

We have moved into a different era, a different time, a different generation. And so although you have running backs who are tasked with running, blocking, being receivers, generating more yards from scrimmage than anybody. The running backs right now, especially when you think about the franchise tag of which is $10 million this year, ain't nobody tagged at a lower amount outside of punters and kickers.

Think about that for a minute. The running backs in the NFL are on the lowest tag, the only two positions lower are guys kicking the football. That's where we're at. We see Saquon Barkley settled for a little bit more than the franchise tag. You got Josh Jacobs who still isn't out here playing. Leonard Fournette doesn't have a job. Eckler had to settle for, hey man, here's $1 million, shut up and take this money, relax. Ezekiel Elliott, no job, but we don't know how much tread he has left.

And so here's the deal. Najee Harris, he arrived at Steelers training camp. He also spoke up. We heard about this.

NFL running backs sat down. They had a powwow. They had a meeting. They had a get together.

They did it on Zoom because it's the year 2023. And they talked about what they can do and what's going on and all the work that they put in and not being able to reap the rewards. And so Najee Harris decided to talk about this as he arrived to camp. And he made it very clear, I'm speaking for all of us running backs that the NFL, specifically the owners, the teams, they want to use us. They want to spit us out. And it ain't fair. Listen to him.

They're choosing when to devalue the running back. And what I mean by that is if numerous times, you know, I can speak on my behalf, they ask me alone, you know, just, you know, the game is going to rely on you. You need to do this for the team. You got to do this right here. Hey, it's time to close out the game.

Hey, we need to lean on you right now. And that happens in a lot of places like Cleveland, you could say, Tennessee, you know, even with the Niners, you know, there's numerous teams where this happens at. There's a lot of times where, you know, the running back is utilized a lot in the passive protection game, too. You know, that's not a stat that they're going to put.

Neither is that a stat that they want to say. If we're not running the ball, we're blocking. If we're not blocking, we're running the route. We're always doing something. You know, I mean, only time when they choose to say that it's devalued is when it's time to pay the running back. Oh, yeah, right, huh?

You can't deny the fact. Running backs do a lot. They do a lot of work. They take a lot of abuse.

They take so much abuse that by the time they get into the early 30s, they're ready to move on to the next dude. They're cooked. Close down shop, bring in somebody else. All facts and all reasons as to why they don't want to pay them. I get it. I can also understand the frustration. You want to use us, you want to abuse us, you don't want to pay us.

Ouch. If we continue and move forward, that's not all Najee Harris had to say. He utilized Saquon Barkley as an example. Listen to what he had to say about his usage. With Saquon's situation, it's like Saquon accumulated from almost 30 percent of the offense. Like, why can't you look at that and say, OK, well, you know, he said he's not trying to break the market or set the market, but he's trying to get compensated of what he thinks is fair, which they think what two parties should think is fair, too.

And I think that why I know that they know themselves that that ain't fair. Like what what he's getting, you know, he wanted, you know, I guess a long contract to know security there. Right now, he doesn't have no security. You know, right now they're just going to probably utilize him the same way.

Utilize him the same way. And if something happens in the game, they're going to, you know, probably look somewhere else. But it's like, what is the security that we have?

We don't have no security right now. You guys are using us to accomplish what you guys want. And then when it's time for us to re-up or ask for something that we think is right, you guys just turn the cheek and say, well, you have you have wear and tear. Isn't that the name of the game, though? Is it not smart for NFL teams to say we just going to pay you year over year?

Wouldn't that be smart? I mean, yeah. Saquon Barkley, one of the best running backs in the game, one of the most dynamic running backs in the game. There was a period of time prior to this past season where Saquon Barkley had a torn ACL. The season prior to that, Saquon Barkley was dealing with a high ankle sprain.

He was not the same player. And so are we to think that he's not going to have another knee injury? That he's not going to have a leg injury? I know his legs are built like fire hydrants, but come on, it's just the nature of the game. Everybody's going to get hurt. Running backs, I mean, they're they're the prime dude. You get the ball, you getting hit. Ain't no no ways about that.

There's no ways around it. Someone who had a response to this. It's Jim Irsay. Yeah, the owner of the Colts. I mean, he has a damn good running back in Jonathan Taylor. He doesn't get a lot of attention because the Colts stink, but he's one of the best running backs in the game, flat and period. A few seasons ago, people were looking at him going, oh, man, he is one of the best.

But now the team stinks. But anyway, Jim Irsay said this. We have negotiated a CBA that took years of effort and hard work and compromise in good faith by both sides. To say now that a specific player category wants another negotiation after the fact is inappropriate. Some agents are selling bad faith.

Now, Jim Irsay is just talking to talk. Because anybody with, I don't know, two brain cells knows that there is not going to be a renegotiation of the CBA. It ain't happening. CBA was was put down and agreed to early in 2020 before the world just got smacked by COVID. And the CBA is to be lasting or is expected to last until 2030. The last time I looked, it's 2023.

If I can do math, I think I can. That's seven years from now. How about Saquon Barkley is probably going to be cooked seven years from now.

Sorry. Hate to say it, but he probably will be. Najee Harris, probably in the same boat.

He's probably going to be closer to the end than he is to the beginning. And he's moving into his third year with the Steelers. And so this wasn't necessary for Jim Irsay to say it wasn't necessary. But he said it. He was the owner who basically came through and said, yo, shut up and stop bellyaching.

So it's not necessary for him to say this, but here's some facts, folks. Are running backs getting screwed financially? Yes. NFL owners and teams putting their foots on their collective necks.

Yes. Is it fair? There's no such thing as fair. I'm sorry.

Saquon Barkley for for his position and what's going on. It sucks for him. But it's not a matter of fair. That's the nature of the game. It's what you signed up for. The game has changed.

You got to change with it. Don't play running back. Come on.

We played this a couple of nights ago. Melvin Gordon sat down and he basically said, if I was coming into the NFL, man, I wouldn't be playing no damn running back. I would have stuck the corner defensive back.

I wouldn't be doing this. Yeah, I'm sure Saquon wants to make more money. Deserves to make more money. I would say he deserves to make more money. But is it fair? No, it's not. Life ain't fair.

No such thing as fair. Get over it. Get used to it. It's not going to be an adjustment here with all the running backs going to refuse to play football. And it's not going to happen because they'll be somebody else just ready to play and make some scraps, make some money.

And so, yeah, it must it must hurt. To be Saquon Barkley. And only receive your 10 plus million dollars when you turn on the television set. And Justin Herbert is like, oh, how much am I getting?

Two sixty two. Oh, that's nice. It must hurt for Saquon Barkley to be like, I'm only getting 10 million dollars. I'm a supreme athlete.

And in the NBA, you got Jalen Brown making three hundred and four million dollars. That must suck. Nobody forced you to be a running back. Wrong place. Wrong time. Wrong sport. Wrong time. And as I mentioned, Melvin Gordon basically told everybody, if I had a choice, I wouldn't be a running back.

I would have been something else. This is what he had told another radio station a while ago. Listen to this last week. Oh, man, I play a different position.

You know, if I'm blessed enough to have a son, don't even ask me to play running back. You're not playing. You know, go play baseball or something. Go figure this out. You know, you better stay at school, try to get your education, do that regardless. But running back is out the question.

There's no way there's no way you can play unless you really just like set stone on it. Like you don't care. But I mean, it's just it's not really worth it. Yeah, I care.

But I care. My son was like, OK, if I had a son like that, I just. I want to be like you. I'd be like, all right. You know, but if he if I'm if I'm given a suggestion, when you start going to receiver a cornerback, you know, you're going to be pretty tall.

You'll make it. Actually, I was I was hesitant on going to Wisconsin because I thought they wanted me a DB. The money they make it. I wish I would say that.

And stuff that was wild and Tash that Melvin was talking to in Wisconsin. Yeah, this it sucks for running backs. They deserve more money.

They do. But is it fair? It's not. It's just the nature of the beast. Get over it.

Sorry. It's what it is like. Both can be true.

They're not mutually exclusive. It's a hard knock life for running backs. Oh, yeah. And by the way, Najee Harris. It's not his time yet to get paid. It's not his time for the money.

And so he wanted to be very clear. I'm speaking for all running backs. But oh, yeah, by the way, hey, Steelers, don't be mad at me. I'm OK. Listen to what he said. This team, I have nothing wrong with no vendetta versus, you know, the Steelers and nothing like that. I really like this organization. You know, when it's my time to talk about that, I will. But right now, I'm just speaking on behalf of just all running backs. I really don't want to just go any further with that question.

OK. He's like, oh, I said too much. They're going to use this against me later.

It's the nature of the beast. You sign up to play in the NFL, you know what's going to happen. This is where it was trending. This is where it's going.

Worst time to be a running back and I don't see it changing. Sorry. What are your thoughts? 855-212-4CBS.

That's 855-212-4CBS. Do you agree with Najee Harris? Are the running backs getting screwed by their own teams?

I think it's just the reality. And I think if anybody is to blame, Jim Irsay alluded to it. It's the Players Association.

It's their fault. I'm going to take your calls on the other side of the break. Oh, how about this? The United States women's national team. We got a final score against the Netherlands. I'm going to take your calls. I'm going to tell you about the women's match.

We got a lot more to do. The JR Sport Reef Show, CBS Sports Radio. It's the JR Sport Reef Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. We just heard from Najee Harris. Basically told everybody, I speak on behalf of all running backs. We've been mistreated.

I'm sounding the alarm bell. NFL owners want us to do all of this work. The teams want us to do work. They privately come to us and say we're going to rely on you. We need you to do this.

We're closing out the game. We need you. We need you.

We need you. And then when it's time to get paid? Crickets. He's telling the truth. But that's the NFL. Like, you know what you're signing up for. It's like going to an NFL and signing a contract and then saying, oh, man, you know, my legs hurt. Well, this is tough.

This is difficult. It's part of the game, man. It really is. It sucks.

It really is. Do they deserve more money? Yeah, but I can't go as far to say it's not fair.

I guess the nature of the beast. The game has changed. That's like being a kickoff returner right now or being a wide receiver and saying, hey, they're not giving me enough chances to return kicks, man.

It's moving on from the game. And so, yeah, the running backs do more work. They're also replaceable. That's that's facts.

8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS, 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS. Do you agree with Najee Harris? Are they being used? Are they being abused? Yeah, they're being compensated.

But are they being compensated what they should earn? Let's go to San Diego and talk to Franco. You're on CBS Sports Radio. What's up, Franco?

Hey, J.R., good to hear from you tonight. I hate to 100 percent agree with you because that doesn't make for good radio. But without a doubt, this is pure, hard, cold capitalism. You know, the game has moved on. There's a generational shift going on where the money goes. And right now, the running backs are paying the price. You know, linemen are out there every every down.

They don't get paid. And 10 years from now, the game is going to shift and it's going to look a little bit different. And another position is going to suffer. But nobody is going to sit there and try to make it fair. The NFL, you know, for all intents and purposes, the no fair league. And the reality is it's not fair. But it's the reality of the game. It's economics.

And you always say this. It's a business at the end of the day. It's a good business practice for them to do this because you tie up 20, 30, 40 million dollars on a guy that rolls up an ankle. You know, you got dead money and your team is dead water. Yeah, I think it's best.

And thank you, Franco, for calling from San Diego. Do you want to lock up your quarterback? Oh, yeah, you do. You want to have your quarterback for five years. If you got Patrick Mahomes, hell yeah, you want to have that guy for 10 years. Do you want Saquon Barkley for 10 years? The answer is hell no. Do you want Saquon Barkley for five years? The answer is hell no. Realistically, do you want Saquon Barkley for three years?

The answer is probably hell no. If you can nickel and dime him year after year after year, then you do so. Who's to say that for a guy who's had a torn ACL and a high ankle sprain that he doesn't have another one this year or the year after that? And it's not like year after year he's going to get better.

His best years are when he's young. It sucks, but that's the reality of it or something that sucks. And this is a better result than what it could have been. The U.S. women's national team, they tied a few minutes ago with the Netherlands, won all. The Netherlands was beating them, scored at the 17th minute. The United States of America, they scored on a header at the 62nd minute, and they ended this game at a draw. This is still group stage play.

The United States women will be back in action on Tuesday. So you've got to wait a little less than a week. They're going to play Portugal next Tuesday. And damn it, let's keep in mind they're playing in Australia. This match is going to be at 3 a.m. Eastern time.

If you're going to sit and watch that, you're a real hardcore fan. 855-212-4CBS, that's 855-212-4CBS. Eric is calling from Green Bay. You're on the JR Sport Brief Show.

Appreciate you having me on, JR. So the way I see it, I remember years ago when they brought in the rookie pay scale. Veterans, you're in your second contract. You've been in the league five, six years. Rookie gets drafted, number 10 overall, and he's making $8 million.

In year six in the league, getting $3 million. They complained. Owners complained. They put in the rookie scale. I feel like the running backs are paying for that, which did correct a lot of those problems. But with the way running backs are, they're at their prime when they first come in the league. It's almost like that sixth of the rookie scale, if they could somehow get rid of it for the running back position, so when they come in the league, they're making that maximum, and then it decreases as they get older.

I think that would solve a lot of problems, because that 23-year-old running back, that's when he's at his best. It was similar to what Jim Irsay said. It ain't happening. It's not going to change. The CBA is locked in, and you talk about the rookie wage scale.

That was implemented in 2011. I remember one of the first players that pretty much, well, not the first, a stamp on it was Sam Bradford. A lot of people weren't thrilled. A lot of people weren't thrilled that he was making all that money. But here we are, in the middle of this CBA, about the third year in, 20-20-21-22-23, third or fourth year in, and there's not going to be an adjustment. And you bring up a great point, talking about how the owners, they weren't satisfied with it.

Veteran players weren't satisfied with it. The owners were the ones who signed the contracts, similar to how the NFLPA, they signed the current collective bargaining agreement. And so, if you're not happy with something, if your players that you're representing aren't happy, if you're not happy, don't sign the CBA.

Nobody forced you to. The biggest thing that you lose out on is money, right? The same thing that the owners would. Hey, if the players don't show up, we lose money. Except for there are only 32 owners and they are billionaires.

And then you got a bunch of players, well, a lot of them aren't even millionaires. It's tough. It's difficult. Who you think is going to blink first? Welcome to the world, right?

That's just how life operates. 855-212-4CBS. It's 855-212-4CBS. Lou is calling from Rochester. You're on the JR Sport Brief Show.

Hey, JR. I hear it speaking on behalf of running backs and advocating for more pay, whatever. He's comical. He's not even a premier back in the league and he just lacks real speed at the NFL level. And like you said, the NFL isn't about a running game anymore anyway. It's like move past that. It's really a passing game.

Well, to his point, and thank you, Lou, for calling from Rochester, I'm not going to quote-unquote shoot the messenger. Whether or not you think he is a premier back is debatable. He's one of the best backs in the NFL. Am I saying he's top three?

No, but he is one of the better backs in the league. So let's just put that to bed. Second of all, man, why can't he advocate for more money? What's the problem?

Isn't that what everybody wants? Don't most people feel like they don't make enough money? That they are undervalued?

That they are not appreciated? Like, don't shoot the messenger here. Like, leave Najee Harris alone. He ain't bothering anybody. Pete is calling from Miami. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Hey, JR. What's up, man? Go ahead. Listen, man, I got a question for you before I make my statement.

Who is that one running back right now in the league that's holding it down for everybody else? I don't know what the hell holding it down means. Just make your point.

Go ahead. Holding it down based on longevity and we're going to compare them to quarterbacks, right? I'm going to say it like this because I don't want to put too much into your knowledge.

You're a very intelligent gentleman. So I'm going to say it like this. Derek Henry, right? Let's say Derek Henry, he's doing what he has to do. And we're going to talk about comparison, what the quarterbacks and the running backs are doing. Quarterbacks get protected. Every year the rules are more favorable for the quarterbacks, right?

That's inedible. We know that. But these guys get hit on the line of scrimmage. They get hit by the linebackers. They get hit by the safeties and the free safeties at that, right? So I feel like we got to protect these people, man. They're doing the legwork. We cannot say everybody's replaceable like the running backs are because that's what we're saying, right? If that's the case, if we're going to pay them like that, everything should go down as a two down back, two running backs throughout. The same way the NFL has... Hold on, Pete. The NFL has gone down that route as well. There's still a lot of teams...

Right, but not every team. Well, hold on. Pete, what did you have? How many five hours did you have? How many five what? How many five hour energy drinks did you have?

Probably like one, but then I heard you it multiplied to ten, right? Okay, so just slow down for a minute. Try your best to slow...

Try your best to be quiet for a minute. Hold on. Yes, sir. Go ahead.

Let's run it. The NFL, through a good portion of the past, I don't know, almost 15 to 20 years, has increasingly moved to a two back system. Does every team utilize it? No, but we don't live in a world where we still have bell cow backs. Now, to your point about protecting running backs, they are replaceable. Finding a quarterback is a much difficult thing. Finding a valuable starting quarterback is much more difficult than going out there and acquiring a running back. You could venture to say that half of the teams in the NFL, if you said, hey, are you ready to upgrade at the QB position?

Half of the teams would say no. No, I'm a dolphin fan, so I could have told you that because last year we were a good backup quarterback away from doing damage, right? So you're absolutely right about that, but what I'm saying is...

But my point is to compare the value is tough, man. Every situation isn't so much like what we just got with the New York Giants. Najee Harris is not exaggerating.

Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones were the offense for the New York Giants last year. They ran the ball wild, and that is a special circumstance. And for Saquon Barkley to walk into the room and say, hey, I am making almost 10 to 13 per, and now my cohort here, of which I am better than, yeah, he's the quarterback, but I'm the better player, I'm the better athlete, he's making $40 million.

Yeah, it sucks, but you can't do anything about it. Because to put the quarterback in the middle... And thank you, Pete, for calling for Miami. The quarterback is the stake in the middle of the team, man. He's holding the whole damn tent down. And so, yeah, everything in the tent, the running back might be the generator, he might be holding it down, but you don't have no damn tent if the stake doesn't keep it from flying away. Then your generator is useless. Odd analogy, but I think you understand what the hell I'm saying. It's easier to just go and pick up a new generator every time it screws up, man, than trying to just rebuild the whole house. That's probably a better analogy.

I think Pete was on something. That's the way the world is, man. You can't do anything about it.

Running backs are irreplaceable. Doesn't work, I go get a new one. You gonna go buy a new house every day? The answer's no.

No. 855-212-4CBS. That's 855-212-4CBS. I'm gonna get some more of your calls. Speaking of someone who is not replaceable, or not replaceable, different sport. Looks like the Angels ain't getting rid of Otani.

Sounds stupid if you ask me. I'm gonna get some more of your calls. We'll talk about Otani. Someone who did get a new deal is also related to Major League Baseball. I'll tell you who that is.

Probably the most hated person in the game. And then at the top of the hour, I'm going to deliver to you a new top 6 list. Worst sports contracts ever. Oh, sports entertainment.

Like the WWE. I'll take that. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here on CBS Sports Radio. At the top of the hour, I'm going to give you a top 6 list of the worst sports contracts ever.

Yeah, so what I do every Wednesday night into Thursday morning, a new top 6 list. And so we got that coming for you at the top of the hour. We've been talking about contracts and Aaron Rodgers giving up some money with the New York Jets. $35 million over the next two seasons so they have something to work with as he hopefully wraps up his career.

We gave you an update. Najee Harris speaking on behalf of all running backs that steal his training camp. He's like, hey, yeah, we haven't been treated fairly. We get asked to shoulder a gigantic load and when it comes time to be compensated for it, we don't get the bread. We don't get the money.

We don't get the paper. And so I want to address this. A few other contractual bits of news here. If you don't like Rob Manfred as the commissioner of Major League Baseball, of which there are many, it sucks for you because Rob Manfred had his contract extended. He is going to be Major League Baseball's commissioner until 2029.

This was voted on today by Major League Baseball owners. He's going to be around, folks. And you can expect him to make more mistakes like calling the World Series trophy a piece of metal, of which he apologized for. So if you want to know how bad of a commissioner he is, let's listen to him at least try to be sorry. Is this what being sorry sounds like?

Let's hear it. I have to say I made one mistake, at least during that long day. And that was in an effort to make a rhetorical point. I referred to the World Series trophy in a disrespectful way. And I want to apologize for that.

There's no excuse for it. I made a mistake. I was trying to make a point, but I should have made it in a more effective way.

And again, I want to apologize for it. Yeah, he referred to the trophy as a piece of metal. Talking about the punishment that he handed out or did not hand out to the Houston Astros for their cheating scandal.

He wanted to downplay the significance of the trophy specifically, and then he had to apologize. Not the first time that he's put his foot in his mouth. It was only a few weeks ago where Rob Manfred was asked about the fans in Oakland.

And oh yeah, well it's nice that they showed up and this is what a major league stadium should look like. He's clueless. And he's only been the commissioner since 2015. With all of his gaffes and just being tone deaf, it feels like he's been putting his foot in his mouth for 20 years. But he has only been the commissioner since 2015 when Bud Selig moved out of the big boy chair.

And so Rob Manfred here to be a pinata, a highly paid pinata, until 2029. Let's get some more of your calls in before we go into the top six at the top of the hour. 855-212-4CBS.

That's 855-212-4CBS. Demetri is calling from Detroit. You're on CBS Sports Radio.

Hey, what's up, JR? Thanks for taking my call, man. Sure.

Go ahead, Demetri. Hey, I just want to say, if I was a running back, especially like Saquon Barkley or Tony Pollard or ETN or Christian McCaffrey, you know, the running backs that can receive the ball pretty good, that can catch, I would tell all the teams I don't want to play running backs no more. Make me a receiver then. If you're not going to pay me like that, then put me a wide receiver. And when the next collective bargaining agreement comes up, they should just say that we're skilled players. Instead of running back or receiver, you know, we're all skilled players and pay us accordingly by that. By the yards that we get, you know? Yeah, that would make all the sense in the world if they were able to break the current CBA, but that ain't going to be the case until the year 2030.

So I love the premise of it, but that's a wise out. By the time we get there, the current dudes who are playing running back, they're going to be done. They're going to be used up and spat out.

It'll be done for the next generation. Dustin is calling from Texas. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Hello? Yes, you're live on the radio.

Go ahead. Hey, what's up, man? You know, what's crazy is I was looking about the whole Najee Harris and the whole contract situation. You know, that's what's going on right now with my Dallas Cowboys, man. I'm a big Dallas fan. And, you know, the whole Zach Martin contract question, you know, that's the same situation right now.

You know, Zach Martin is not going to training camp because of the whole, you know, renewing the contract. And it's a different. But here's the thing. Offensive linemen are valued at so much more than a running backs right now because they're the ones out there protecting the QBs.

I mean, that's that's totally respectable. And, you know, the whole and all this while I listen to the radio, what you're talking about, how, you know, Najee was upset about how he felt and everything. And it made me think, well, look at Dez Bryant. Dez Bryant was in that same situation years ago.

And now you fast forward. It's like, you know, like like Dallas, they're they're in their cap right now and it's, you know, in the middle. I mean, there's enough space in the cap to fill. So if you as a multi-billion million dollar team have the money to, you know, get somebody or renew a contract, why not do it? You know, that's my question.

It's a matter of it's a matter of how you split up the pie. You know, the Cincinnati Bengals have historically been cheap as hell. And we've detailed that a lot this week. You have to look no further than what Mike Brown had to say. Hey, the market for quarterbacks right now, a top tier quarterback, if you want to pay him per year, you're going to have to ante up about 50 million dollars. If you want to have a top flight wide receiver on your team, we're now talking about the range of 30 million dollars. It's so it's it's a whole lot easier said than done. And if you spreading all this money out, you got to chop it down from somewhere else. And where is that somewhere? Think about the top defenders, dudes on a defensive line. We're talking twenty five to 30 million dollars per year. And so, yeah, the running backs who you can bring in and bring out, bring in, sit down.

They get in the short end of the stick right now. That's what it is. George is calling from Alabama. You're on the Gerald Sport Brief Show. Hello. Yes, you're live. I love your show.

Thank you. Only shaking the song. Why in the world all owners of baseball agree to pay this guy till twenty ninety nine. It'd be so dead gun bad. Why do they do that?

Oh, because they see the money going up and they want to have some continuity for a guy who will take the bullet for him. How many. How many. How many Major League Baseball owners do you know by name?

Not many. There you go. You know, Rob Manfred. And he is the shill.

He is the one that takes the crap. That's that's the point. Look, it's not it's not a positive thing because Rob Manfred is not flipping the switch. I think for the overall growth of baseball when it comes to their interest and the lifeblood for decades from now. But in the immediate future, he's been here. He's taken the proverbial bullets. Hopefully over the next several years he can figure out a distribution mechanism for people to watch baseball. But your simple answer is, why did they keep Manfred so he can go in the front and take all the abuse? It's the Gerald Sport Brief Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. Top six list on the other side. Worst contracts in sports ever. Don't move.