Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders OL Richie Incognito.
There has been no indication that the Las Vegas Raiders and Josh Jacobs are nearing a contract agreement. The star running back is currently on the franchise tag but has yet to sign the tender. He has until July 17 to reach a long-term deal with the team or he’ll have to wait until 2024. If the two sides don’t come to a long-term agreement, the saga won’t be over quite yet.
Jacobs can decide to holdout, which would mean the Raiders wouldn’t pay him the $10.1 million he’s owed on the franchise tag. The NFL’s leading rusher has hinted on Twitter that he might be willing to take a stand for the future of the running back position. He continues to be cryptic on social media. On June 20, he tweeted out a message that simply said, “Bad business.”
Bad business
It’s not clear what he meant by that, but it’s possible he’s referencing the fact that the Raiders have still not paid him. He certainly has people on his side. Former Raiders offensive guard Richie Incognito, who played with Jacobs his first three years in the NFL from 2019 to 2021, came out and made it clear that he thinks the running back should get paid.
@iAM_JoshJacobs Pay that man! 💪🏼
Insider Urges Josh Jacobs to Sign a Deal
Paying running backs has fallen out of fashion in the NFL. Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley are two other star running backs who are currently on the franchise tag. Pollard has signed his tender, but Barkley has not, which led to him missing organized team activities.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes all of these running backs are fighting a losing battle. While he does believe that they should do what they can to get the biggest contract possible, he is urging them to accept whatever deal they can get by July 17.
“The reality of the situation is that all the protesting in the world isn’t going to change any of this, and history hasn’t favored the back who’s gambled on himself,” Breer wrote in a June 19 column. “So, yes, Saquon, Josh and Tony, draw hard lines over the next month. Push your agent to keep pushing the team to make concessions, and sweeten your deal. But don’t do anything to jeopardize the money that you have worked so hard to earn.”
Josh Jacobs Previously Said He’d Be Willing to Play on Franchise Tag
Josh Jacobs has changed his tune in recent weeks. He has never been excited about the idea of playing on the franchise tag, but he did previously say he would be willing to play on it if he thought the Raiders were in a position to win.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t want to get franchise tagged,” Jacobs told Pro Football Talk in a February 9 interview. “But I wouldn’t mind it if they got the right guys in the building around us. [If] they got some guys on defense, figure out the quarterback situation, got some guys up front, then I would be like, ‘OK, I really wouldn’t mind coming back on the franchise tag.’ But if you want me to come back and be the hero, you’ve got to pay me like the hero.”
Either his mindset has changed or he hasn’t been overly impressed with what the team has done this offseason as he appears much less keen to play on the franchise tag now.