Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 564

Chapter 564: 563 Undercurrents surging Chapter 564: 563 Undercurrents surging This offseason, aside from Cousins’s fully guaranteed contract, Smith’s transfer to join the Washington Redskins, and the Green Bay Packers’ contract extension negotiations with Rodgers, what industry insiders are most concerned about is Bell’s contract.

The reason lies in—

Running back.

Ever since his rookie season proved he had earned the starting position, Bell has been the most dominant running back in the league, averaging more than four yards per carry for four consecutive seasons; in the 2013 season, he rushed for 860 yards in thirteen games, and despite playing only six games due to injury in 2015, he still rushed for 556 yards, surpassing one thousand yards on the ground in the other three seasons.

Without a doubt, Bell is the best and most stable running back since Peterson.

It’s not just about the numbers, only those who have truly faced Bell on the field can feel the dominance displayed by this young running back.

And furthermore,

In the 2017 season, the Los Angeles Rams’s Gurley and the Kansas City Chiefs’s Li Wei both demonstrated top-level dominance, highlighting the role of running backs, especially with the Chiefs—who didn’t regard their quarterback as core—securing the Super Bowl Championship, suggesting novel possibilities.

Perhaps, the role of running backs has more potential than imagined.

...

So, can running backs strive for top salaries?

As of the 2018 offseason, a quarterback’s annual salary is about to break through thirty million US dollars, and even quarterbacks like Cousins, who aren’t considered top of the league, can secure an annual salary of twenty-eight million US dollars.

What about running backs?

This offseason, two top running backs are both in negotiation for contract extensions.

One is the Los Angeles Rams’s Gurley, who eventually signed a four-year, sixty million US dollar contract, with a guaranteed forty-five million US dollars, making him the highest-paid running back in history with an annual salary of fifteen million US dollars.

What historical significance does Gurley’s contract hold?

First, he surpassed the seven-year, ninety-six million US dollar contract Peterson had signed with the Minnesota Vikings, raising the annual salary by a significant margin.

Secondly, the forty-five million US dollar guarantee also surpassed Peterson’s thirty-six million, marking a new beginning for veteran running backs.

Lastly, in the league this year, the second highest-paid running back is Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons, with an annual salary of only eight million eight hundred thousand US dollars, meaning Gurley is the only running back to have an annual salary over ten million US dollars.

Despite this, Gurley’s annual salary in the NFL only ranks forty-third, and the gap is even more apparent when compared to quarterbacks.

Nevertheless, Gurley still managed to secure a significant contract for running backs.

The other is the Pittsburgh Steelers’s Bell.

The league is watching and waiting, and even Gurley has received such treatment—does this mean Bell could potentially break the ceiling further?

However,

It didn’t happen.

As the free agency market opened, the Pittsburgh Steelers applied the exclusive franchise tag to Bell for the second consecutive year.

The entire league was shocked.

What does this mean?

“Exclusive” means that Bell isn’t permitted to negotiate with other teams, squashing any possibility of Bell seeking a higher contract through another team.

At the same time, they refused to offer Bell a contract with a higher figure.

According to the rules, the contract under the exclusive franchise tag must not be less than the average of the five highest annual salaries at the same position for the next season, or 120% of the player’s salary from the previous year, whichever is higher.

Thus, this meant that the Steelers’s franchise tag offer to Bell was an annual salary of fourteen million five hundred thousand US dollars.

Less than Gurley.

Of course, negotiations continued, and Bell refused to sign the exclusive franchise tag contract, his tug-of-war with the Pittsburgh Steelers went on.

Until the voluntary training camp began.

Without a doubt, Bell was absent.

The Pittsburgh Steelers officially stated, “Don’t worry, negotiations are still ongoing, Bell is still a Steeler, and we believe that things will be resolved properly.”

But was that really the case?

Inside the league, whispers and rumors circulated endlessly.

Even Donald Yee called Li Wei to discuss this matter and to communicate with Li Wei about it.

Donald supported Bell, because he also wanted Li Wei to fight for a record-breaking contract, all running backs, especially those at the top of the pyramid, were allies.

Reliance on one person’s strength alone was not enough to break the league’s bias and constraints; they were partners looking out for each other.

But at the same time, Donald needed to protect Li Wei, who was only a sophomore with shallow roots.

If he got caught up in controversy now, branded by team owners and managers as a troublemaker, then the difficulties he would face later on would only multiply.

He could not let Li Wei fall into the whirlwind of controversy.

So, there was a fine line to tread.

Although Donald trusted Li Wei’s wisdom and ability, they still needed to reach a consensus.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

Similarly, as a running back, Hunter was also getting restless.

However, Hunter always had an issue with Li Wei, it was hard for him to lower his head and start the conversation.

Truth be told, Li Wei wanted to make a joke, to continue seeing Hunter’s sour face, but this topic was not suitable, so he swallowed the words he had on the tip of his tongue.

“Of course I support him,” Li Wei said without beating around the bush.

Hunter glanced at Li Wei, slightly surprised, but after thinking about it, he looked away, “Would you be willing to publicly support him?”

No matter whether Hunter liked Li Wei or not, as the new Super Bowl MVP and the most outstanding running back of the last season in the league, Li Wei’s words naturally carried different weight.

Therefore, he suppressed his irritation and dissatisfaction and continued to ask.

Li Wei nodded, “Of course.”

At that moment, duty called, and Li Wei knew he needed to step up.

But that wasn’t all, “At the same time, we need to focus on training.

You should know, we are just sophomores in the league, our influence is still not enough.”

It wasn’t just second-year running backs, second-year quarterbacks were in the same boat.

“The best support and endorsement is to prove your worth on the field.

If more and more outstanding running backs emerge, playing roles that change the game, and the focus on running backs grows, only then will our voices be heard.”

“Rather than hoping that some team owners would put aside their interests and take the first step, it’s better to focus on ourselves, to believe in ourselves, to rely on our strength to change the game…”

And then, take advantage of public opinion to build momentum.

Indeed, this is a Professional League where interests come first; but at the same time, it is also competitive sports, and there isn’t anything a championship trophy can’t fix.

If that doesn’t work?

Then two trophies.

As long as there are enough victories, fans, the media, professionals, and the league will see and form a collective voice, completely changing the difficult situation for running backs.

But.

Hunter didn’t have the patience to wait for Li Wei to continue, and interrupted abruptly, “Naive.”

“Do you think it’s that simple?

That we can just change the game?

Even if we change the outcome, the media will say it was the quarterback’s doing, and the team owners will fail to see our efforts.”

“We still need a leader.

Gurley has already taken a step, and next it’s Bell.”

“As long as Bell can take this step, our voices will be heard.”