Running back Josh Jacobs is leaving the Las Vegas Raiders after five seasons. At the beginning of free agency, the former Pro Bowler inked a four-year deal with the Green Bay Packers.
He seemed to be hoping to stay in Las Vegas, though. On his Instagram story, Jacobs shared an intriguing statement.
“At what point do we ask the franchises for the same loyalty when a player leaves? It’s always the player who is being disloyal.” As Jacobs put it,.
It sounds clear from that that Jacobs didn’t think the Raiders were committed to him. It’s hardly surprising that he’s disappointed the team didn’t re-sign him because he’s always been an emotional player. For Las Vegas, Jacobs has been a mainstay.
Ever since his first-round selection in 2019, he has emerged as the team’s top running back. He has played in two Pro Bowls and finished first in the NFL in 2022 with 1,653 yards of rushes. He went so far as to have a tattoo of the Raiders logo on his body. The franchise was unable to match what the Packers were able to offer Jacobs, who had indicated interest in rejoining the organization following Antonio Pierce’s hiring as head coach.
The Raiders of Las Vegas attempted to sign Josh Jacobs again.
Despite Josh Jacobs’s 2024 arrival as a packer, the Raiders made an attempt to sign him. The Athletic claims that Green Bay just outbid Las Vegas.
The Raiders desired Jacob’s return. At the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco and coach Antonio Pierce both stated as much, according to a March 11 editorial in The Athletic. “A league source claims that at the Raiders’ meeting with Jacobs’ agent Chad Wiestling that week in Indianapolis, the team expressed interest in re-signing the running back to a long-term agreement. Going into the start of free agency, the Raiders were confident in their ability to keep Jacobs, and a person with knowledge of the situation characterized them as “optimistic” that a contract would be reached. Nevertheless, the Packers outbid them.
The Packers are paying Jacobs $48 million, which is a high amount for a running back. It’s hardly surprising that general manager Tom Telesco wasn’t prepared to match $48 million because he hasn’t been eager to pay running backs in the past. The Raiders’ ultimate offer must have been significantly less than what Green Bay was giving, though it is unclear what that offer was.
The Raiders of Las Vegas Don’t overlook Austin Ekeler
The Raiders will probably start Zamir White as their primary running back in the upcoming campaign, but they still need to add at least one more. Austin Ekeler, a former running back for the Los Angeles Chargers, made some sense in Las Vegas because of his connection to Tom Telesco. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports stated on X on March 11 that the Raiders expressed interest in signing Ekeler.
However, according to an ESPN post by Adam Schefter on March 11, Ekeler chose to sign a two-year contract with the Washington Commanders.
The Raiders are more likely to select a running back in the April draft because the running back market is rapidly drying up.
