Getty Images Running back Josh Jacobs #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The top priority for the Green Bay Packers this offseason is surrounding quarterback Jordan Love with talent capable of making a legitimate run at multiple Super Bowls.
Given the uncertainty surrounding veteran running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, the Packers could look to free agency to add a game-changing weapon in the backfield alongside Love.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers are the best fit for free agent running back, and former rushing champion, Josh Jacobs.
“Green Bay was reportedly one of the teams calling about Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor,” Brad Spielberger wrote February 5 for PFF. “Before he eventually signed an extension, and A.J. Dillon is a pending free agent while Aaron Jones is still uber-efficient despite missing a lot of time in 2023.”
While Jacobs’ 2023 season was cut short by a quad injury, the 25-year-old is one year removed from rushing for a career-high 1,653 yards with 12 touchdowns, which also ties a personal best.
Through the first five seasons of Jacobs’ career, he’s rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns as one of the most consistently explosive backs in the NFL.
According to PFF, Jacobs averaged 2.98 yards after contact per carry, which could make him an ideal fit in the Packers’ offense, especially if Green Bay is working in multiple young offensive lineman in 2024.
What Kind of Contract Will Josh Jacobs Command?
Jacobs is entering free agency at a time when running backs have never been valued less by NFL teams.
Just last spring, even after winning the rushing title, Jacobs was forced to settle for a one-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders worth $11.791 million, including a signing bonus of just over $2 million. Meanwhile, the New York Giants used the franchise tag on former No. 2 overall draft choice Saquon Barkley before eventually agreeing to terms on a one-year contract rather than working out a long-term extension.
Now set to hit the open market for the second time in as many offseasons, Jacobs finds himself having far less leverage after an injury-riddled campaign that saw him rush for just 805 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games.
Spotrac projects Jacobs’ market value at $10.6 million annually, on a four-year contract worth $42.72 million.
If that’s the contract that Jacobs ultimately finds in free agency, he would become the seventh-highest paid running back in the NFL.
Can Packers Afford Josh Jacobs or Other Top RB?
Beginning with signing Love to an extension that likely would make him among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league, the Packers are going to need to be creative in terms of the cap this offseason.
As free agency nears, the Packers are projected to have just $349,745 in cap space, according to Spotrac.
However, whether it is by restructuring the contract of key veteran players, or moving on from potential cap casualties, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has options to create spending flexibility which could allow Green Bay to add a back of Jacobs’ caliber.
“I think we’re getting to a little bit better spot than we have been in the past,” Gutekunst recently told reporters. “It’s never perfect, but I do feel that whatever opportunities are out there to improve our team in free agency, that we’ll be able to do that, so I feel good about that.”