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LeSean McCoy

šŸ‘¤ Speaker
130 total appearances

Appearances Over Time

Podcast Appearances

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

It's one of the most unique positions on the field because you're the farthest one back. So you see everything going on. And as a running back, you have a job to do every single play. Wire receivers, they can take a play off. But running backs don't have that because we're either running the ball or we're blocking or we're in the passing routes.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

It's one of the most unique positions on the field because you're the farthest one back. So you see everything going on. And as a running back, you have a job to do every single play. Wire receivers, they can take a play off. But running backs don't have that because we're either running the ball or we're blocking or we're in the passing routes.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

It's one of the most unique positions on the field because you're the farthest one back. So you see everything going on. And as a running back, you have a job to do every single play. Wire receivers, they can take a play off. But running backs don't have that because we're either running the ball or we're blocking or we're in the passing routes.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

One part of it is really the skill, natural gifts from God. Another part is studying and learning. And I tell other young backs now is let your natural instincts happen, right? But being a student of the game, right? Learning, like, okay, every defense has a weak point. Your job is really, like, to find that.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

One part of it is really the skill, natural gifts from God. Another part is studying and learning. And I tell other young backs now is let your natural instincts happen, right? But being a student of the game, right? Learning, like, okay, every defense has a weak point. Your job is really, like, to find that.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

One part of it is really the skill, natural gifts from God. Another part is studying and learning. And I tell other young backs now is let your natural instincts happen, right? But being a student of the game, right? Learning, like, okay, every defense has a weak point. Your job is really, like, to find that.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

It's unfair because you're telling me that you'd be a great difference maker as a running back. And because I don't play quarterback— I can't get paid the right value for my position. You're telling me that because I don't play quarterback, I got to play elite level every year to get elite money. But the quarterback can play above average for years and one year be pretty good.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

It's unfair because you're telling me that you'd be a great difference maker as a running back. And because I don't play quarterback— I can't get paid the right value for my position. You're telling me that because I don't play quarterback, I got to play elite level every year to get elite money. But the quarterback can play above average for years and one year be pretty good.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

It's unfair because you're telling me that you'd be a great difference maker as a running back. And because I don't play quarterback— I can't get paid the right value for my position. You're telling me that because I don't play quarterback, I got to play elite level every year to get elite money. But the quarterback can play above average for years and one year be pretty good.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

And now you're about to get elite money? Think about that. Guys like Josh Jacobs, really good running back, played on bad teams and still played well. And his last year with the Raiders, he said, yo, you know, I led the league in rushing and they didn't offer me a contract. Can you imagine the world where the quarterback leads the league in passing yards and he don't get offered a contract?

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

And now you're about to get elite money? Think about that. Guys like Josh Jacobs, really good running back, played on bad teams and still played well. And his last year with the Raiders, he said, yo, you know, I led the league in rushing and they didn't offer me a contract. Can you imagine the world where the quarterback leads the league in passing yards and he don't get offered a contract?

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

And now you're about to get elite money? Think about that. Guys like Josh Jacobs, really good running back, played on bad teams and still played well. And his last year with the Raiders, he said, yo, you know, I led the league in rushing and they didn't offer me a contract. Can you imagine the world where the quarterback leads the league in passing yards and he don't get offered a contract?

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

Well, it's tricky because the few quarterbacks in the last five, six years, these guys have been like all pro quarterbacks. Brady, he's still one in there. Stafford's still one in there. Mahomes got three in there. These ain't just regular guys just winning Super Bowls. In 2019, I was blessed to be with the Kansas City Chiefs, and I won a championship with them guys.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

Well, it's tricky because the few quarterbacks in the last five, six years, these guys have been like all pro quarterbacks. Brady, he's still one in there. Stafford's still one in there. Mahomes got three in there. These ain't just regular guys just winning Super Bowls. In 2019, I was blessed to be with the Kansas City Chiefs, and I won a championship with them guys.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

Well, it's tricky because the few quarterbacks in the last five, six years, these guys have been like all pro quarterbacks. Brady, he's still one in there. Stafford's still one in there. Mahomes got three in there. These ain't just regular guys just winning Super Bowls. In 2019, I was blessed to be with the Kansas City Chiefs, and I won a championship with them guys.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

Patrick Mahomes had to come back in the fourth quarter to win that game. But then I look across the field, we're playing the Niners. The whole week, the game preparation was, all we got to do was get the third down. Why is that? Because we want this quarterback that was paid all this money to throw the ball on third down. His name was Jimmy G. That's who that was.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

Patrick Mahomes had to come back in the fourth quarter to win that game. But then I look across the field, we're playing the Niners. The whole week, the game preparation was, all we got to do was get the third down. Why is that? Because we want this quarterback that was paid all this money to throw the ball on third down. His name was Jimmy G. That's who that was.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

Patrick Mahomes had to come back in the fourth quarter to win that game. But then I look across the field, we're playing the Niners. The whole week, the game preparation was, all we got to do was get the third down. Why is that? Because we want this quarterback that was paid all this money to throw the ball on third down. His name was Jimmy G. That's who that was.

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

The brother threw like 40-something passes the whole playoffs, and the undrafted running backs carried them. The quarterback got all the credit for taking to the Super Bowl, and he did the bare minimum. Or we go to New York. A dude like Saquon Barkley can be that good, and you'd rather pay Daniel Jones. How the hell is that fair?

Freakonomics Radio
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

The brother threw like 40-something passes the whole playoffs, and the undrafted running backs carried them. The quarterback got all the credit for taking to the Super Bowl, and he did the bare minimum. Or we go to New York. A dude like Saquon Barkley can be that good, and you'd rather pay Daniel Jones. How the hell is that fair?