Why Josh Jacobs Did Not Sign a New Contract with the Las Vegas Raiders

Why didn’t Josh Jacobs sign a new contract with the Las Vegas Raiders?

July 26, 2023

Jacobs was the league leader in rushing yards in 2022 / Photo: Bleacher Report

With the deadline to sign a new contract already in the rear-view mirror, the novel between Josh Jacobs and Las Vegas Raiders enters a new and uncomfortable chapter: despite having been one of the figures in the offensive (along with Davante Adams) and the league leader in rushing yards (with 1,653) the franchise the Davis family does not seem willing to give the former first round what he wants.

Thus, the options for the ex-Alabama are not too attractive: Either sign the franchise tag and play this season for just over $10 million guaranteed, or express your displeasure by skipping Training Camp, preseason games and even games from September onwards. This last point seems the farthest, given that every regular-season game he doesn’t play in would mean leaving half a million dollars on the table, but absenting himself from pre-season activities would not mean any economic damage to him and, according to rumors, it seems to be the path chosen by Jacobs.

The outlook isn’t too encouraging for either side: behind the former first rounder, the Las Vegas team doesn’t have a lot of experience or talent to offer at the position, and going from the latest rushing-king to Aameer Abdullah or Brandon Bolden is not exactly a upgrade. On Jacob’s sideskipping the season can have dire consequences (as it did for Le’veon Bell in 2018) and despite the fact that $10M is not a negligible number, the chances of landing a long-term, well-paying contract after 2023 with such a depressed market are slim to none.

The #28 black & silver: past history? // Photo: CBS Sports

From sleeping in the car to turning down millions: how did Josh Jacobs get here?

It’s just after ten at night in Nashville, Tennessee. Alabama graduate Josh Jacobs takes the stage to be greeted by Commissioner Roger Godell and the (then) Oakland Raiders jersey with the number #1: he just became the second first-round pick of brand new GM Mike Mayock. Happiness is breathed.

As Jacobs walks the runway, the broadcast’s commentators take a look back at his life: born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from a very young age he was faced with adversity. His parents separated in his childhood and a series of economic difficulties led them to sleep more than once in motels, pensions and even in their father’s car. In the post-selection interview, Jacobs gets emotional going through the topic. Thank god, he says hardships only made him stronger, that now comes the good.

Cut to July 2023: Despite having been one of the few high points of a more than unstable franchise in recent years, Jacobs is between a rock and a hard place. The new GM/HC tandem formed by Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels has been working since 2022 to clean up the vestiges of a rather infamous management. Some cases are self-explanatory (Damon Arnette, Henry Ruggs), but that of #28 is much more difficult to understand: it is no longer about his performance or his commitment or anything that is in his hands. It’s all about the position you play.

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Let’s put it like this: How much does the average team pay today for a receiver who guarantees 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns per year? Undoubtedly, much more than ten million dollars a year. Josh Jacobs drives those averages in his career and still he fails to bag a big, long-term contract. AND the sad truth is that it will hardly be possible: in this league, and increasingly, running backs are seen as totally disposable pieces. In addition to Jacobs, other figures such as Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard They are experiencing a similar situation. The matter is reaching such undesirable extremes that, according to reports, RB Austin Ekeler organized a meeting via Zoom with many other referents of the position to organize an action plan.

But whatever results they are going to achieve are still far off in time and for Jacobs the future is today. Having slept in the back seat of a car, not making more than ten million in a year is a “good problem” to have, but a problem at last. Perhaps the same mettle in the face of adversity that brought him here will guide him to a new chapter of resilience in his career: it would not be the first nor the last tackle that he dodges.

Alejandro Casas

Football consumer since 2015, when Manning and Von Miller made me believe being a Broncos player was a good idea. Obsessed ever since, my family and friends don’t understand, but it amuses them that I am amused. My goal is to see all the NFL stadiums in person (I already crossed out 9) and on the way I saw Tom Brady live: I can’t ask for more (I still ask: that the Broncos return to the playoffs). I write and sometimes design at No Huddle since 2022.

2023-07-26 16:48:33
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