Ameer Abdullah was one of the best running backs to ever play for Nebraska football. The man looked like someone who was going to make quite the name for himself in the NFL too. Things haven't gone all that well since he left college. Injuries have played a big part in that.

Now, Abdullah is saying he's open to a new way of protecting players like him. This new way would protect players almost exactly like him. The former Husker and Detroit Lions says he's in favor of a runningbacks only union.

This would be instead of the current NFL Player's union.

Abdullah has laid out why the time is now for this kind of move, while others are claiming it's a very bad idea.

Protecting his own

Abdullah hadn't heard of the International Brotherhood of Professional Running Backs (IBOPRB) until recently. He also didn't realize they had petitioned the NFL to become an official part of the league.

“Any time a player’s interest is being protected, I’m always going to be on that side. Just me being biased a little bit. Any time there can be a change that’s going to help anybody that comes behind me, I’m for it" Abdullah recently told the Star Tribune.

He added one caveat. The former Nebraska football star said he has to see the specifics before he's fully on board.

For its part, the IBOPRB argues that the current union setup isn't fair to running backs. They say that the position takes more physical punishment than other positions. There's certainly an argument to be made.

Most running backs don't have a long career in the NFL. If they do have a long-ish run, they tend to be a shadow of their former selves by the time they are ready to hang it up.

That's just the players that are able to hang it up on their own terms.

Even worse, running backs tend not to get paid as though they were taking that much abuse. On average, only long snappers make less than backs.

Long road ahead

While the former Nebraska football star might be wishing he had his own union in order to protect his position in the NFL, it seems unlikely to become a reality.

The regular NFLPA is going to fight any kind of breakup.

Even if something went through, the new union would still have to convince people like Ameer Abdullah to leave the NFLPA. In order to have any real bargaining power, this new union would have to gain a vast majority of eligible players to enroll.

Abdullah is the latest to say he would think about it. He doesn't have to pull the trigger now as it's not close to being something he needs to commit to. It's unclear if his position might change should the IBOPRB get its way. While there have been other players saying they would also be open to a running backs only union. It will be interesting if they have to back up that talk.
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