Running backs are one of the most important positions in the National Football League. They can change the hands of a game at any time. They may also be asked to control the flow of a game in its final minutes.

But the recent trend with big brokers has been going on for a long time. I call this trend the “Great Runner’s Curse.”

Most of the great running backs who have broken records and been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame have played on mediocre teams for most of their careers.

Here are some examples of what I’m talking about. Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders, the list is longer, but those are the few names that occurred to me at the time. You’re probably wondering why Walter Payton is on the list.

Walter Payton played on losing teams for most of his career until Mike Ditka came along. When Ditka arrived, Walter Payton’s career was in decline. It has been reported that Mike Ditka embarrassed Payton in Super XX when he let William Perry score a rushing touchdown on the goal line.

It seemed like a joke to everyone else, but not to Walter Payton. Great runners can’t even shine on the biggest stage, even if they wanted to. Barry Sanders was a human highlight reel with the Detroit Lions. But he had only been to the postseason five times in his career and made one trip to the NFC Championship Game in 1991.

In my honest opinion, if you made the postseason only five times in a ten-year career, that’s pretty bad. But there have also been great running backs who were surrounded by other talented players who won championships.

Tailbacks like Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk and Franco Harris were fortunate to have great front office management and a strong coaching staff to be successful throughout their careers as far as being on a competitive team at the end of the season. year.

I don’t understand why superstar caliber riders have to endure so much hardship throughout their career and never show any signs of complaint.

Barry Sanders could have left Detroit a long time ago, but he chose to stay and endure the hardships of struggling with the Lions. One running back who has had great success throughout his career is the great Jim Brown.

He won his first NFL title and retired immediately afterward to pursue a successful acting career. I guess if running backs start pouting because their team sucks and they want to request a trade, they’ll be tagged with the so-called “Diva Tag.” Star running backs have always displayed great sportsmanship on and off the field.

The “Diva Tag” belongs to quarterbacks and wide receivers. If these guys show so much humility on and off the field, why doesn’t the front office reward them by surrounding them with great talent so they can compete for a Super Bowl title?

The next running back who may become a victim of this curse is Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. If he doesn’t express some sort of concern for the team in regards to being competitive in the future, he’ll fall right into the company of Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson.

I know he wants to break records and secure his legacy in NFL history. But if I were him, I’d challenge the front office to make some personal moves so the team can compete for a Super Bowl.