The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the teams who placed the franchise tag on their running back this offseason. Just like all of the other teams, the Raiders failed to come to a long-term agreement with their star, Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs is coming off the best season of his career as he led the league in rushing yards in 2022. He finished the campaign with 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading the league in touches and total yards from scrimmage as well with 393 for 2,053.
The Raiders have no one to blame but themselves for the current situation that they find themselves in. One of the moves that the new regime of general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels made last year when taking over was to decline the fifth-year option on the rookie contract of Jacobs.
That is certainly something they would like a redo on as Jacobs was one of the best players in the NFL last season. Now, it is anyone’s guess when he will be reporting to the team as he has no plans of attending training camp. The only way he can play this season for the Raiders is if he signs his franchise tender.
During a recent appearance on NFL Network’s Total Access, Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams was asked about the situation between his team and Jacobs. He was very blunt, saying if the team wants to achieve the goals they have for the 2023 season, Jacobs needs to be there.
“If we really want to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl and having all the elite aspirations that we do, we’re gonna need that guy. So I’m praying that we can still figure something out, but also understanding where Josh is coming from and trying to coach him through it at the same time.” (H/T Coral Smith of NFL.com)
There isn’t much that the Raiders can do as no more negotiating can be done between the team and Jacobs until after the 2023 season. Adams is certainly correct in his assessment though, as they aren’t going to do nearly as much winning as they would hope without the Alabama product in the lineup.
Playing any part of the season without Jacobs in the lineup is a worst-case scenario for the Raiders. He is a key cog in their offensive attack and without him, there will be even more pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo to carry the load offensively.
