Over the past decade, assessing the financial value of running backs has been a perplexing exercise. Trends for running-back contracts have been a roller coaster; Bijan Robinson’s record-setting extension on Tuesday is another high point.With Robinson’s contract done, likely laying the groundwork for Jahmyr Gibbs’ monster extension from the Detroit Lions, are running backs making a financial comeback?The 2023 offseason was an inflection point for the position. The Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott, who still had four years remaining on an extension he signed in 2019 after a lengthy holdout that lasted through training camp. At the time, Elliott’s contract was the richest for a running back in NFL history. After releasing Elliott, Dallas placed the franchise tag on his backup, Tony Pollard, locking him in for one season. During that 2023 offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders also placed the franchise tag on Josh Jacobs, who was coming off a rushing crown. The New York Giants had let Saquon Barkley play out his entire rookie contract before placing the franchise tag on him. Jonathan Taylor was hampered by an ankle injury in 2022, but had a dominant 2021 season during which he led the league in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and rushing first downs. Taylor wanted an extension done before entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2023.Pollard played the 2023 season in Dallas, then the Cowboys let him walk in free agency. Jacobs and the Raiders agreed to a one-year deal instead of the franchise tag; his 2023 season was cut short due to injury and the Raiders allowed him to walk in free agency. Barkley played the 2023 campaign on the franchise tag before the Giants let him walk in free agency, too. Taylor and the Colts agreed to an extension in early October after the running back held out of the first four games of the season. Taylor’s extension averaged $14 million per season, falling short of resetting the market at the position. Taylor’s three-year extension was not only below the $16 million average annual value (AAV) from Christian McCaffrey’s contract in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers, but also below Elliott’s 2019 deal with the Cowboys, which carried an AAV of $15 million.