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How much is too much?

Injury rates for heavily used running backs

That was a real nice Week 1 for running backs. Jahmyr Gibbs, Kenneth Walker and others kept getting the ball, and they kept putting up stats. But now they’ve got to somehow keep it up, which isn’t easy.

It is the most physically demanding position, after all – like being in a car crash on every play. So it’s tough to make it through a 17-game season unscathed. It’s just hard.

For Week 1, five different running backs handled the ball at least 25 times. That’s carries and catches. And that’s a big workload. The three others to do it in their opener: Derrick Henry, Ashton Jeanty and Bijan Robinson. If you’ve got two of those guys on your roster, there’s an extra bounce in your stride this week.

But there’s also the worry about how long these guys can stay healthy.

And in that spirit, let’s turn the focus and what’s happened to the other running backs who have started off down this road.

In the last 20 years, 27 running backs have touched the ball at least 29 times in Week 1. Twelve of those 27 ended up missing at least three games. In the chart below, the final column shows missed games; guys missing at least three have a black dot, and those missing at least half the season carry a double dot.

If we expand this out to 25 touches in Week 1, I see 87 running backs in the last 20 years (not including this season). While 33 of those backs didn’t miss any games, another 33 missed at least three. (That leaves 19 in the middle ground, missing 1-2 games.). And nine missed at least half the season; about 10 percent.

25 TOUCHES IN WEEK 1 GAMES
YearPlayerHRunRecTotalTDPPRRkMiss
2018• James Conner, Pitt.369734971,47013284.063
2022• Jonathan Taylor, Ind.358611431,0044152.4336
2006LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.341,8155082,32331483.310
2006Chester Taylor, Min.341,2162881,5046228.4141
2010Arian Foster, Hou.341,6166042,22018396.010
2020Derrick Henry, Ten.342,0271142,14117337.130
2022• Joe Mixon, Cin.348144411,2559239.5113
2026Jahmyr Gibbs, Det.34???????
2021Joe Mixon, Cin.331,2053141,51916289.941
2024• Joe Mixon, Hou.331,0163091,32512240.5173
2006Willie Parker, Pitt.321,4942221,71616298.670
2013LeSean McCoy, Phil.321,6075392,14611332.630
2016Lamar Miller, Hou.321,0731881,2616193.1192
2016• DeAngelo Williams, Pitt.323431184616100.1497
2010Chris Johnson, Ten.311,3642451,60912276.960
2025Christian McCaffrey, S.F.311,2029242,12617416.610
2006Warrick Dunn, Atl.301,1401701,3105183.0250
2021•• Christian McCaffrey, Car.304423437852127.53910
2006Rudi Johnson, Cin.291,3091241,43312238.3110
2006Edgerrin James, Ari.291,1592171,3766211.6170
2007• Shaun Alexander, Sea.29716767925123.2413
2014• Arian Foster, Hou.291,2463271,57313277.653
2015• Matt Forte, Chi.298983891,2877216.783
2017• Leonard Fournette, Jac.291,0403021,34210230.2103
2017• Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.299832691,2529205.2126
2019Christian McCaffrey, Car.291,3871,0052,39219471.210
2020Josh Jacobs, L.V.291,0652381,30312235.381
2024• Jordan Mason, S.F.29789918803117.0405
2026Ashton Jeanty, L.V.29???????
2026Bijan Robinson, Atl.29???????
2007Edgerrin James, Ari.281,2222041,4267208.6130
2007Willie Parker, Pitt.281,3161641,4802183.0201
2009• Mike Bell, N.O.28654126665100.6463
2011•• Tim Hightower, Was.2832178399261.96911
2012Doug Martin, T.B.281,4544721,92612313.620
2012Alfred Morris, Was.281,613771,69013258.070
2012• Darren McFadden, Oak.287072589653156.5254
2013DeMarco Murray, Dall.281,1213501,47110260.162
2015•• Carlos Hyde, S.F.2847053523381.3629
2018Adrian Peterson, Was.281,0422081,2508193.0190
2024Rhamondre Stevenson, N.E.288011689698181.9272
2006Fred Taylor, Jac.271,1462421,3886197.8201
2012Arian Foster, Hou.271,4242171,64117306.130
2012Shonn Greene, NYJ271,0631511,2148188.4190
2014LeSean McCoy, Phil.271,3191551,4745205.4120
2016Matt Forte, NYJ278132631,0768185.6212
2017LeSean McCoy, Buff.271,1384481,5868265.670
2006Steven Jackson, St.L.261,5288062,33416419.420
2007Warrick Dunn, Atl.267202389584156.8280
2007Brian Westbrook, Phil.261,3337712,10412372.411
2007Joseph Addai, Ind.261,0723641,43615276.641
2007• Travis Henry, Den.26691657564106.6474
2008Matt Forte, Chi.261,2384771,71512306.520
2008• Edgerrin James, Ari.2651485599391.9563
2009Adrian Peterson, Min.261,3834361,81918332.920
2009Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.261,3913741,76516325.540
2010Steven Jackson, St.L.261,2413831,6246244.4120
2010Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.261,3243171,6417240.1132
2011Cedric Benson, Cin.261,067821,1496165.9261
2012• LeSean McCoy, Phil.268403731,2135205.3164
2013•• Doug Martin, T.B.2645666522170.25710
2020•• Christian McCaffrey, Car.26225149374690.45413
2021• Mark Ingram, 2TM265541627162110.6493
2021• Dalvin Cook, Min.261,1592241,3836210.3164
2024Saquon Barkley, Phil.262,0052782,28315357.321
2026Kenneth Walker, K.C.26???????
2008Thomas Jones, NYJ251,3122071,51915277.950
2008• Ray Rice, Balt.254542737270105.7493
2008• Willie Parker, Pitt.25791138045113.4465
2009Matt Forte, Chi.259294711,4004223.0120
2009Frank Gore, S.F.251,1204061,52613282.652
2009• Cedric Benson, Cin.251,2511111,3626189.2203
2011Frank Gore, S.F.251,2111141,3258197.5170
2011•• Jahvid Best, Det.253902876773112.74310
2012Steven Jackson, St.L.251,0453211,3664200.6170
2013Chris Johnson, Ten.251,0773451,42210244.290
2013Reggie Bush, Det.251,0065061,5127247.272
2013•• Daryl Richardson, St.L.25215121336047.6738
2014DeMarco Murray, Dall.251,8454162,26113361.120
2014Matt Forte, Chi.251,0388081,84610350.630
2014•• Montee Ball, Den.2517262234138.48911
2015Alfred Morris, Was.2575155806196.6530
2016T.J. Yeldon, Jac.254653127772139.7341
2016• Carlos Hyde, S.F.259881631,1519198.1183
2017•• Dalvin Cook, Min.2535490444267.47212
2019Marlon Mack, Ind.251,091821,1738181.3232
2020Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.259793381,3178233.791
2020• Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C.258032971,1005176.0223
2021Damien Harris, N.E.259291321,06115214.1142
2022• Cordarrelle Patterson, Atl.256951228179156.7314
2023Christian McCaffrey, S.F.251,4595642,02321395.311
2026Derrick Henry, Balt.25???????

So with these kind of backs, makes sense to roster the backup running backs behind them. For this current five, I see three promising, clean backups – Mike Washington (L.V.), Brian Robinson (Atl.) and Emmett Johnson (K.C.). Judgment call on Johnson, with him having played just one game, but I thought he looked capable enough last night.

The other two backs have murkier backup situations. For Detroit, it looks like Sione Vaki is the backup, but it might be a one-two punch (including Jacob Saylors) should they actually need to go to the bullpen. And in Baltimore, Justice Hill is the backup, but I think they’d be mixing in another back (Rasheen Ali, I believe).

—Ian Allan

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