NFL running backs don’t have a long shelf life, and one particular player at that position appears to be happy that he’s still in the league.
Jordan Howard burst onto the scene as a rookie running back in 2016, giving the Bears hope that they had finally found a suitable replacement for Matt Forte. Howard rushed for 1,313 yards — an impressive 5.1 yards per carry — and gave the Bears the balance on offense they were in desperate need of. He was one of only two players on the team to make the Pro Bowl that year, and it appeared his future in the league was bright.
It was all downhill from there for Howard, though, as he never rushed for that many yards in a single season that followed. In fact, he’s accumulated only 1,520 yards combined in his past three campaigns, being relegated to a short-yardage back for the Dolphins and Eagles last season.
The Eagles did re-sign him to a one-year deal on Tuesday, even though he wasn’t sure if they or any other NFL team would do so.
“The game is more of a passing league, it just feels like running backs are disposable,” Howard said. “[NFL teams] feel that they can get a running back wherever, any round, or undrafted. I really feel like we’re disposable, but I feel like running backs can do a lot of different things. We still have a lot of value to teams… really just got to keep fighting that stigma. I would never want to change being a running back, I love being a running back. Even though it’s not the fancy position it used to be.”
Gotta respect Howard for keeping it real there.
