Top 10 2025 NFL free-agent RBs: Did Saquon, Henry change the market?

Greg Auman and 3 more

Is the NFL running back making a comeback?

The position has been largely devalued, in contracts and the draft, but impact seasons by the Eagles‘ Saquon Barkley and the Ravens‘ Derrick Henry were a reminder that it can be a position worth investing in. None of this year’s options are as good as those two, but you could see teams with solid offensive lines take a longer look at outside signings, with the idea that a good back in a better system might become a great one.

Here are the top 10 running backs available in free agency, with 10 more who will also hit the open market.

(Top-100 ranking in parentheses)

10. Elijah Mitchell, 49ers (NR)

Mitchell didn’t play at all in 2024 because of a hamstring injury, but if he’s healthy, his career rushing average is 4.7 yards per carry, and he ran for 963 yards as a rookie in 2021. He’s 26, and if a team is looking for a complementary back, he’s an option. Mike McDaniel was the 49ers’ offensive coordinator in Mitchell’s rookie year, and the Dolphins coach has shown a penchant for signing his old 49ers backs, so keep an eye on Miami.

9. Kareem Hunt, Chiefs (NR)

Hunt, 29, bounced back nicely in his return to the Chiefs, rushing for 728 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games as an injury replacement. He has rushed for at least 400 yards in three straight seasons, but he’s averaged fewer than four yards per carry each time, so his stats are volume stats. Given the Chiefs’ injury history, they’d do well to bring Hunt back on a modest deal, just in case Isiah Pacheco goes down again in 2025.

8. Jordan Mason, 49ers (NR)

When Christian McCaffrey was injured, Mason got a window as starter and ran the ball well, rushing for 789 yards and averaging 5.2 yards per carry. The 49ers have enough unrestricted free agents that they might not be able to match a competitive offer sheet for Mason, a 25-year-old restricted free agent with only 236 career carries. Compare that to Najee Harris, who’s had at least that many attempts every year for four seasons. As they say: it’s not the years; it’s the mileage.

7. Jaylen Warren, Steelers (NR)

Warren is a restricted free agent, and those are tougher to get, but if the Steelers give him the low tender of $3.2 million for one year, an outside team could make him a compelling offer sheet and force a tough decision for Pittsburgh on whether to match. The 26-year-old Warren has averaged 4.8 yards in three years in Pittsburgh, averaging 42 catches per year as well.

6. Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles (94)

Gainwell doesn’t have a ton of mileage for a young back — never more than 84 carries in a season, a career 4.2-yard average, 102 catches over his four years as an Eagles backup. He’s been behind three different 1,000-yard rushers in the past three seasons. Does he stay in a comfortable role in Philadelphia or look for a chance to compete for a larger role elsewhere?

5. Nick Chubb, Browns (73)

Chubb, 29, has been limited by injuries in each of the past two seasons, playing 10 games total and mustering only 503 rushing yards between them. He made four straight Pro Bowls from 2019 to 2022, rushing for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last fully healthy season. His health is the limiting factor, and that’s all that’s keeping him from being one of the top backs available.

4. Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (61)

He came on really strong at the end of the season to finish with 1,079 yards in his first full season as a feature back. Most of that (677 yards) came in the last seven games, and mostly because the Cowboys started using him more (10.3 carries per game over the first nine; 20.3 over the last seven). He showed what he can do when he gets the ball consistently, and he’s only 26 years old with just 331 career carries. Not a lot of wear and tear yet, and a lot of potential upside.

3. J.K. Dobbins, Chargers (44)

Dobbins, 26, had missed much of his three previous seasons in Baltimore before making a splash in Los Angeles, setting his career high with 905 rushing yards. To have only 429 carries in five NFL seasons is low-mileage, but the injury risk (knee and Achilles) could give teams pause. After topping 130 yards in each of his first two games with the Chargers, he didn’t rush for more than 96 in any game the rest of the way.

2. Aaron Jones, Vikings (34)

The 30-year-old Jones stands to benefit from strong seasons by veteran backs like Barkley and Henry. Jones isn’t as good as either, but he reset his career high with 1,138 rushing yards in his first year in Minnesota, catching 51 passes as well and scoring seven touchdowns. Can he get more than the $7 million he got from the Vikings last year? Aside from maybe Najee Harris, Jones should be the high-dollar running back in this free-agent class.

1. Najee Harris, Steelers (14)

Pittsburgh’s starter produced over 1,000 yards and played a full 17-game season for a fourth straight season. Harris turns 27 in March. He should benefit from the rebirth of the running back position during the 2024 season, but he’s a step below the top-tier backs like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, both of whom left their original teams for bigger free-agent deals last offseason.

10 MORE NAMES TO WATCH: Ameer Abdullah, Raiders; Cam Akers, Vikings; A.J. Dillon, Packers; Chase Edmonds, Bucs; Ty Johnson, Bills; Alexander Mattison, Raiders; Dare Ogunbowale, Texans; Patrick Taylor, 49ers; Javonte Williams, Broncos; Jeff Wilson, Dolphins.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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