Performance and Pay in Professional Football examines performance and pay in the National Football League (NFL) using two high-profile positions, running backs and quarterbacks. In each case, the authors examine the effects and prevalence of injuries in professional football. With respect to quarterbacks, the authors use injuries to determine the performance value of elite quarterbacks. They then compare the performance value to the compensation premium received by elite quarterbacks. For running backs, the authors are concerned with how a player’s risky actions, in terms of injury risk, affect the player’s performance and pay in both the short and long terms.