During a Zoom meeting organized by Chargers RB Austin Ekeler, a ground of running backs discussed the idea of exaggerating injuries when locked in a contract dispute with their teams, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
NFL Players Association president JC Tretter first floated the idea on the Ross Tucker Podcast, suggesting a running back could theoretically hold out without receiving the associated fines by declining the work through an injury they otherwise might have played through:
This tactic was eventually shot down by the players as it would just feed into the narrative about the longevity of running backs and how often they get injured due to wear and tear:
“As one source put it, the consensus was that this can’t work for running backs, since it feeds into the narrative that they’re prone to injury. (It also gives players lower on the depth chart a chance to prove that, dollar for dollar, they represent a better value than the ‘injured’ players they are replacing.)”
It’s tough being an NFL running back as Nick Chubb reportedly stated in the Zoom meeting, the backs are in a loss-loss situation:
