5 best free agent running backs in 2024 feat. Saquon Barkley

With the Super Bowl being held this Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, free agency is right around the corner, with players being able to sign new contracts next month.

The running back position is always interesting to monitor in free agency because running backs usually don't get big, lucrative contracts. This year, there are many quality running backs set to hit free agency.

Here's a look at the top five free agent running backs in the 2023 off-season:

Five best free agent running backs in 2024 featuring Saquon Barkley

#1 - Saquon Barkley (New York Giants)

Saquon Barkley is set to become a free agent again this off-season. The Giants elected to use the team's franchise tag on him last season, and that could be an option for them again this off-season.

Barkley is looking for a long-term deal and he could get that after another solid season. He rushed for 962 yards last season and scored six touchdowns.

While Saquon may not be as productive as he was in his first couple of seasons, he's still a top running back this off-season with veteran experience.

#2 - Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders)

Like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs was franchise tagged by the Las Vegas Raiders last off-season. This came after he had a career season in 2022, leading the league in rushing yards with 1,653 and scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Jacobs missed four games this season but still managed to rush for 805 yards and six touchdowns. While he had a down year compared to the 2022 season, Jacobs still has the skill to have a few good years left as a starting RB.

#3 - Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys)

Tony Pollard was the last of the three RBs to be franchise-tagged last off-season. He played in all of Dallas' 17 games last season and recorded his second-straight season with at least 1,000 rushing yards.

He had a higher yard-per-rush average than Barkley and Jacobs this past season while scoring six touchdowns on the ground.

#4 - Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans)

Derrick Henry could be one of the best RBs of all time when he retires. While he is aging like every running back on this list, he's shown he isn't slowing down.

While his workload was reduced last season with the emergence of rookie running back Tyjae Spears, he led the league in rush attempts (280) while rushing for 1,167 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Henry will be 30 years old at the start of next season but is still a productive power back in the NFL.

#5 - Austin Ekeler (Los Angeles Chargers)

Austin Ekeler had a big drop-off in production in 2023. He went from 915 rushing yards in 2022 to 628 this past season. His rush touchdown total dropped from 13 to five, as his total touchdown number went from 18 to six in a season.

Although he didn't have a great season last year, Ekeler is still one of the best available free-agent RBs this off-season.