The relationship between the Las Vegas Raiders and their star running back, Josh Jacobs, seems to be quite strained. Jacobs had the franchise tag placed on him earlier this offseason, which made July 17th an important date. That was the deadline for franchise-tagged players to work out a long-term deal, otherwise negotiations would have to stop until 2024.
Not surprisingly, a deal was not agreed upon between the Raiders and Jacobs. From the sounds of it, a deal never got particularly close, either. That means Jacobs’ future with the team, in 2023 and beyond, is up in the air.
We definitely won’t see Jacobs on the field with his teammates when the Raiders start training camp in the coming days as he has yet to sign the franchise tender. How long will it be until we see him on the field is the question, as holding out and missing regular season games is on the table?
This is a situation that the Raiders brought upon themselves when they opted to decline the fifth-year option on Jacobs’ rookie contract. He responded with the best season of his career, leading the league in rushing yards.
With so much uncertainty surrounding Jacobs now, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk suggested that the Raiders could opt to move on altogether in the coming weeks. The possibility remains that Las Vegas will rescind the franchise tag from Jacobs, going in a totally different direction at the running back position.
Until Jacobs puts pen to paper on the tender, the Raiders have the right to pull the offer back. It is something that has been done only three times in the last two decades. The Philadelphia Eagles did it twice, with linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and defensive tackle Corey Simon. The Carolina Panthers did it most recently with cornerback Josh Norman.
As Florio suggested, the Raiders could use the $10.1 million currently allocated to Jacobs elsewhere on the roster. A committee approach, which head coach Josh McDaniels deployed when offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, is the direction the team could go in as well.
The threat of pulling the franchise tender could be enough to have Jacobs report to camp. There isn’t much money available around the league, especially for running backs. If the Raiders rescinded the offer, Jacobs likely wouldn’t get close to the $10.1 million he can earn. Just look at the market for Dalvin Cook, who is coming off of four consecutive Pro Bowls and has struggled to find a lucrative new deal.
