WHITE SULPHER SPRINGS, W.Va. — Football is a game Nick Chubb has loved to play since he was a child growing up in Georgia. The NFL is a business that turns many of those who play in it into mere commodities with a corresponding value attached.

It's the cold reality with which the Browns star running back has tried desperately to come to grips since coming into the league in 2018.

"That's probably what I hate most about it now," Chubb said after Sunday's training camp practice at The Greenbrier. "Since I've been in the NFL, just the business side of it. But, yeah, for me I just take a day at a time. I come out here and I’m doing what I love. Off the field, you do got to think about some things for your future. But for me, I'm focused on just coming out here every day and going to work.”

Chubb goes to work this training camp knowing the business side is increasingly creeping into his world. That's because no position in football has undergone a more drastic reduction in financial value than running back.

That has come to a head over the last month, as multiple star running backs have struggled to find what they feel is fair value on the free-agent market. Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, among the biggest names, remain unsigned and without a home as teams start to arrive at training camp.

The New York Giants' Saquon Barkley and the Las Vegas' Raiders Josh Jacobs, the NFL's leading rusher a year ago, both failed to negotiate long-term deals with their teams after being placed under the franchise tag. They can play at the tag number of $10.1 million this season, but both have indicated a willingness to fight back.

“We're definitely in a tough situation, running backs as a whole," Chubb said. "Saquon's a great player and you can ask anyone around the league or even on the Giants how much he means to that team, so it's hard seeing him not get what he deserves.”

The top running backs in the league, including Chubb, met on a Zoom call Saturday to discuss their options. The call was spearheaded by the Los Angeles Chargers' Austin Ekeler, who had himself asked for a trade earlier in the offseason before taking it back, and included the Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry, San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey, Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor, Barkey, Jacobs, Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon, Pittsburgh Steelers' Najee Harris and Baltimore Ravens' J.K. Dobbins.

The reason for the call was obvious. The hope it can produce meaningful results isn't quite so.

“Right now it's just talking," Chubb acknowledged. "There's really nothing we can do. We're kind of handcuffed with the situation. … But the biggest thing is that we’re at a position where our production hurts us the most. If we go out there and run from 2,000 yards with so many carries, the next year they're going to say you're probably worn down. That's the biggest thing that I took from it."

Chubb is coming off a career year last year, rushing for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns on a career-high 302 attempts. In 75 career games, he's rushed for 6,341 yards and 48 touchdowns on 1,210 attempts.

Where Chubb pushes back most is on the belief that running back is a position that attains more wear and tear than other positions. He's averaged just over 16 carries in 122 career games in four seasons at the University of Georgia and his first five NFL seasons.

"I feel like that's a myth in a way," Chubb said. "I think everyone's different. You can't say wear and tear just as a whole of every running back because Derrick Henry, how many yards has he had and he's still rolling. I feel good. I think we're really the only position that that matters. You can see receivers who have been hurt and it's in every situation of they’re getting hurt, injury-prone or anything. They only say that with running backs."

The Browns signed Chubb to a four-year extension in 2021 that boasts the fourth-highest annual value for a running back at $12.2 million. That's a little more than a million dollars per 100 rushing attempts for Chubb.

However, the last of the $5 million in guaranteed money is up at the end of this season. If the Browns were to release him after this year, they would save $12.2 million in cap space while carrying just $4 million in dead money, according to OverTheCap.com.

General manager Andrew Berry on Sunday said Chubb was "the type of player and person that you hope is with the organization as long as possible." He also acknowledged the balance they have in the position, the player and the positional value financially.

"I think that the profiles for positions across the board, in all positions, aren't created equal," Berry said. "He's right, there's durability risk for any player that a team is thinking about signing to a second or a third deal. Some positions are more at risk for injury than others, but I think probably more importantly it's about the individual, it's about the individual and making sure not to lose sight of that."

Chubb said there has been no discussion yet about his future with the organization. He points to the fact that, despite no more guaranteed money after this season, there's still a year left on the deal.

Of course, Chubb also knows there have been plenty of other running backs who have said the same thing.

“I mean, it's easy for me to say it's not a big deal, but next year it could be me in the same situation," Chubb said. "But for right now, I got one more year. I'm here. I'm all in. I'm ready to work with my guys.”

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Nick Chubb frustrated by plummeting NFL running back market