“So how does that make sense?” said Le’Veon Bell on ‘Bottom-Teir’ Players are Getting More Salary than ‘Top Teir’ Player

Le’Veon Bell, a former running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, expressed his confusion over the stark wage gap between New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and his colleague, running back Saquon Barkley.

Bell recently revealed that Jones is a “Bottom-tier” NFL quarterback in an interview with Rob Maaddi on the AP Pro Football Podcast. Bell expressed his amazement that Jones signed a long-term contract this summer but Barkley did not.

“Daniel Jones, he’s in the bottom tier. He’s in the bottom tier of NFL quarterbacks,” Bell stated. “He’s not mediocre. There are average quarterbacks, he’s in the bottom tier. I’m not here trying to talk bad about Daniel Jones. I’m just trying to be real for everybody who’s hearing it. He’s in the bottom tiers.’

 

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A post shared by Daniel Jones (@danieljones3)

 

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Bell continued: “Saquon [Barkley] is in the top tier of his position, running back. So how does that make sense?”

Bell also expressed worries about the effect such contract inconsistencies would have on team dynamics. Despite Barkley’s passion and loyalty to the Giants, he said that unfair contract terms could cause problems in the locker room chemistry.

“It subconsciously affects it,” Bell said.

 

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He said that it can be difficult for people to continue to be as enthusiastic about the company when some players are valued more highly than others.

While Daniel Jones had a good season, guiding the Giants to the NFC Divisional Round with above-average throwing and strong rushing stats, Barkley was a key cog in New York’s run-based offense, making a substantial contribution to the team’s success.

 

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Bell admitted that boycotts like the one he took by sitting out the 2018 campaign are not always an option, especially given the situation of the running back market right now. Nevertheless, Bell was the first running back to do so.

The salary gap between quarterbacks and running backs is a complicated issue that will probably come up during the upcoming CBA talks.

 

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Although it may be difficult to come up with a just and suitable answer, this problem will persist over the NFL in the years to come.

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