2026 Positional Spending: Running Backs

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To help pass the time from now until the start of training camp, we’ll be looking at where every team ranks in positional spending. Today, we’re looking at running backs. The position was the victim of the analytics movement for most of the last 10 years, but recently there’s been a small resurgence of investment at the position. Running back spending is up across the league as the market for the position normalizes, meaning it’s growing along with the salary cap and not stalling or shrinking. It’s still among the smaller chunks of the salary cap pie for most teams. One note: rather than count dead money toward the positional groups, we will have it ranked separately in a post of its own. For example, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa ‘s $55.4 million dead cap hit won’t count toward Miami’s quarterback spending, but it will be included in their league-leading $179 million dead cap figure. Here’s how the league’s running back rooms shake out from most expensive to least expensive: Resources: Salary information via Over The Cap Depth charts via OurLads Pro Football Focus grades 1 – Arizona Cardinals: $22,673,132 Percentage of total cap: 7.53 percent 2025 rank: 8th Top cap hit: Jeremiyah Love , $9,640,512 (3.2 percent) PFF grade: NA 2 – New Orleans Saints: $21,356,064 Percentage of total cap: 7.09 percent 2025 rank: 5th Top cap hit: Alvin Kamara , $10,447,471 (3.47 percent) Other notable cap hit: Travis Etienne , $5,000,000 (1.66 percent) PFF grade: 74.2 3 – Green Bay Packers: $20,789,061 Percentage of total cap: 6.9 percent 2025 rank: 4th Top cap hit: Josh Jacobs , $14,542,647 (4.83 percent) PFF grade: 85.8 4 – Indianapolis Colts: $19,361,913 Percentage of total cap: 6.43 percent 2025 rank: 1st Top cap hit: Jonathan Taylor , $15,562,000 (5.17 percent) PFF grade: 78.1 5 – Los Angeles Rams: $18,610,796 Percentage of total cap: 6.18 percent 2025 rank: 22nd Top cap hit: Kyren Williams , $12,932,500 (4.29 percent) PFF grade: 85.2 6 – Minnesota Vikings: $17,838,395 Percentage of total cap: 5.92 percent 2025 rank: 15th Top cap hit: Aaron Jones , $10,210,000 (3.39 percent) PFF grade: 65.0 7 – Tennessee Titans: $17,576,579 Percentage of total cap: 5.84 percent 2025 rank: 14th Top cap hit: Tony Pollard , $9,250,000 (3.07 percent) PFF grade: 75.3 8 – New York Jets: $17,530,549 Percentage of total cap: 5.82 percent 2025 rank: 24th Top cap hit: Breece Hall , $11,480,000 (3.81 percent) PFF grade: 83.5 9 – San Francisco 49ers: $16,544,211 Percentage of total cap: 5.49 percent 2025 rank: 13th Top cap hit: Christian McCaffrey , $10,856,472 (3.6 percent) PFF grade: 77.2 10 – Philadelphia Eagles: $15,850,740 Percentage of total cap: 5.26 percent 2025 rank: 11th Top cap hit: Saquon Barkley , $9,881,100 (3.28 percent) PFF grade: 67.9 11 – Pittsburgh Steelers: $15,115,525 Percentage of total cap: 5.02 percent 2025 rank: 23rd Top cap hit: Jaylen Warren , $7,033,333 (2.34 percent) PFF grade: 81.0 12 – Chicago Bears: $14,219,207 Percentage of total cap: 4.72 percent 2025 rank: 6th Top cap hit: D’Andre Swift , $8,803,334 (2.92 percent) PFF grade: 83.0 13 – Carolina Panthers: $14,061,354 Percentage of total cap: 4.67 percent 2025 rank: 9th Top cap hit: Chuba Hubbard , $7,476,100 (2.48 percent) PFF grade: 69.9 14 – New England Patriots: $13,733,989 Percentage of total cap: 4.56 percent 2025 rank: 12th Top cap hit: Rhamondre Stevenson , $7,423,529 (2.46 percent) PFF grade: 69.6 (31st) 15 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $13,668,221 Percentage of total cap: 4.54 percent 2025 rank: 2…