The 2023 NFL season is over, with only eight teams left battling for the Lombardi Trophy. While those organizations will continue to chase the game’s ultimate goal, the rest of the league will start preparing for 2024. The team-building process never stops in the offseason, and the first step of the offseason is parting ways with players whose salaries do not match the production. These running back cap casualties are a reminder that the NFL unofficially stands for “Not For Long” as most of these names were once considered to be among the best at their position.
5 Big-Name Running Back Cap Casualties
Alvin Kamara
The New Orleans Saints are, once again, in a terrible salary cap situation and will need to make some hard decisions in the coming months. One of those decisions will involve running back Alvin Kamara, who could easily be one of the many cap casualties on this team. The former third-round pick carries an $18.87 million cap hit, the highest in the league among running backs. New Orleans can save $11.8 million by designating the 29-year-old as a post-June 1st cut. With Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller on the roster, they should be able to get by without the five-time Pro Bowler.
Nick Chubb
Prior to his injury, there was a strong case to be made that Nick Chubb was the best pure runner in football. However, the former second-round pick suffered a gruesome knee injury early in the season. Chubb will reportedly make a full recovery and be back on the field at some point in 2024, but it might not be with the Browns. Cleveland is $13.86 million over the cap and the team can save $12.2 million by making the running back a cap casualty. Unfortunately, given Chubb’s age and the uncertain nature surrounding his health, this should be an easy decision.
Joe Mixon
The Cincinnati Bengals currently have $69 million in cap space, but they also have a lot of talented players set to hit the free agent market. This team might need to free up some spending money, and they could do that by making running back Joe Mixon a cap casualty. The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his contract and releasing him saves the team $5.75 million in cap space. Chase Brown has looked good in limited touches, and pairing him with a cheap free agent like Zack Moss should be enough to keep this offense moving.
James Conner
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is getting up there in years and isn’t a perfect fit for the rebuilding Arizona Cardinals. With only one year left on his contract, the Cardinals could decide to part ways with the veteran and save $5.49 million in cap space. While a veteran could help guide the younger players, Arizona can probably find a cheaper alternative.
Miles Sanders
All of the other potential running back cap casualties can still provide some degree of value to the right team. Miles Sanders, however, is an active liability to the Carolina Panthers. Widely seen as a questionable signing, the Miles Sanders contract proved to be one of the worst in football, as the running back lost his job to Chuba Hubbard midway through the season. The Panthers would only save $200,000 in cap space by designating him as a post-June 1st cut, but this team might honestly be better without him.
Main Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel – USA Today Sports
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