Last season, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks were the league's most fierce rivalry. The two teams played each other three times, most notably in the NFC Championship, in which we witnessed the Seahawks win a late-game thriller.

These teams finished a combined 25-7 last year during the regular season, and much of that was due to their ground game. The 49ers ranked No. 3 overall in rushing and the Seahawks ranked just one spot behind at No. 4 in team rushing.

Unfortunately, both teams are off to a somewhat disappointing start regarding their running backs at training camp.

The Seattle Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch is holding out for a new contract. Lynch is one of the best running backs in the NFL and has two years remaining on his contract. During the final two years, Lynch will see more than $10 million, which is very high for a running back in today's NFL.

There's no denying that the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks rely on Lynch a lot, but it's wise for them not to give in. They easily have the league's best defensive unit, and their offensive line is also above average. We must also remember quarterback Russell Wilson is still making rookie minimum wage scale, so the Seahawks have to make sure they save money for him. Wilson is set to make less than $1 million per year over the next two seasons.

The NFL has the hardest salary cap in sports. If the Seahawks were to "break the bank" on Lynch, it would be detrimental to their success on the field because they wouldn't have as much money to spend on other positions.

Meanwhile, the 49ers are having their problems at the running back position, as well. Luckily for 49ers fans, veteran Frank Gore is just fine. However, there are some issues and concerns with the depth so far at 49ers training camp.

Devastating news came out of Santa Clara on July 26, when it was learned that Kendall Hunter tore his ACL and will miss the entire season.

Hunter isn't an elite running back, but he is a good one. In three seasons with the 49ers, Hunter averages an outstanding 4.6 yards per carry, and he is six years younger than Gore. Hunter's biggest attribute to the 49ers is giving Gore a rest and the offense a duel-threat addition. LaMichael James was also carted off the field with an apparent elbow injury.

The loss of Hunter could be a lot bigger than people think. Gore is going to be asked to do a lot more this season at 31 years old than he has in a long time. Running backs have a bad reputation of going downhill physically at the age of 30. Gore is one of the most consistent backs in the NFL, but this will be his toughest task yet.

Both the Seahawks and 49ers have been extremely successful in recent years, much because of their running game. Both teams are off to a bad start regarding that position.

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