Not defending any specific coaching decision, but it's gotta be hard to balance a RB room in 2021.
With QBs, you generally have a strong pecking order and the backup sticks around because he's either an underclassman who thinks he'll get more playing time (Smothers) or they're just incredibly loyal to the program (Brook Berringer).
With WRs, you get a bunch more of them on the field at once, so it's a bit easier to throw around playing time. Plus, they sub out frequently.
But with RBs, you generally see most teams having a clear #1 and #2 guy, with maybe a third tossed in there as a FB or bruiser-type situational guy. The rest of that room probably has 4-6 guys who are all serviceable and are competing for playing time. It's got to be challenging for a coach to make sure each guy gets enough reps, while still sticking with the hot hand.
Take 1995 for example. Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green, Clinton Childs and Damon Benning. In 2021, there's no way all four of those guys stick around. Social media and the transfer portal are telling every single one of them they have a great opportunity to shuffle down to Lawrence and be the alpha dog at Kansas, or wherever.
With QBs, you generally have a strong pecking order and the backup sticks around because he's either an underclassman who thinks he'll get more playing time (Smothers) or they're just incredibly loyal to the program (Brook Berringer).
With WRs, you get a bunch more of them on the field at once, so it's a bit easier to throw around playing time. Plus, they sub out frequently.
But with RBs, you generally see most teams having a clear #1 and #2 guy, with maybe a third tossed in there as a FB or bruiser-type situational guy. The rest of that room probably has 4-6 guys who are all serviceable and are competing for playing time. It's got to be challenging for a coach to make sure each guy gets enough reps, while still sticking with the hot hand.
Take 1995 for example. Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green, Clinton Childs and Damon Benning. In 2021, there's no way all four of those guys stick around. Social media and the transfer portal are telling every single one of them they have a great opportunity to shuffle down to Lawrence and be the alpha dog at Kansas, or wherever.