Josh Jacobs, a key player in the running back franchise tag dilemma from the previous summer, was unable to reach a multi-year contract with the Raiders. After reaching a one-year compromise, the parties are now dealing with a comparable set of issues.
The fact that Jacobs is a prospective free agent has less financial significance for running backs than it does for many other positions. The 2022 running champion will likely bargain with different power brokers than in the previous
offseason because Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco have replaced Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels. Ziegler stated that he hoped to resume negotiations in 2024, and it seems that the new government shares this desire.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders are considering pursuing a contract with Jacobs; but, he adds that the organization is willing to proceed “depending on the price.” Despite missing the last four games of the year, Jacobs was a vital component of the team’s offensive while he was on the field. Five times in 2023 did he have 20 or more carries, and he began to draw more attention once Pierce took over as temporary head coach.
Fowler points out that during Pierce and the Raiders’ hunt for an offensive coordinator, Jacobs was a talking point. Luke Getsy was chosen for the position as a consequence of that procedure. He oversaw a run-based approach while he was in Chicago, and the Raiders’ ground game would benefit greatly from having Jacobs in the fold. The former Alabama player, who will turn 26 at the beginning of the 2019–20 season, has at least 217 carries in each of his five NFL seasons.
Jacobs’ workload and the general state of the RB position may be factors that detract from his market worth. The backs scheduled to go undrafted next month include fellow veterans Tony Pollard, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley. In 2022, Jacobs averaged a career-high 4.9 yards per rush; however, this season, that number fell to 3.5. Finishing with 805 running yards and six touchdowns, he equaled his career lows in terms of yards per rush.
