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The Green Bay Packers paid out big money to Josh Jacobs this offseason, and it seems like the team is interested in giving him an expanded role with the team heading into 2024.
Jacobs made an appearance on NFL Network to talk about his new team. During the interview, the Packers running back talked about his expectations for the offense. He also mentioned how he expects to utilize more of his skill set in Green Bay.
“Just to be able to come out and actually show I can catch the ball more,” Jacobs said. “Be able to run real routes. Not just that, but trusting me enough to pick up protections. It’s just so special when you’ve got a guy like Jordan Love back there, you can’t just load the box on every play…I think it’s going to be the biggest help for me this year.”
The pass-catching comment was a noteworthy one for Jacobs. Although he has 197 catches over his career, he’s never registered a receiving touchdown. That could change this year based off of his comments about the offense.
Which Version of Josh Jacobs Are the Packers Getting?
If there’s anything that can be said about Jacobs’ NFL career, it’s that it’s been wildly inconsistent.
The past two seasons are the perfect example of that. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards in 2022, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He followed that up with a career-low 3.5 yards per carry with 805 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
There are valid reasons for Jacobs’ drop-off, but they don’t negate all of the concerns. The Las Vegas Raiders had a brutal quarterback situation last season, rotating between multiple QBs. Meanwhile, the team made an in-season coaching change, elevating Antonio Pierce to interim head coach.
The good news is that Jacobs is just 26 years old. However, he does already have a sizable workload at the NFL level. He already has 1,305 rushing attempts over five seasons in the league.
General manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t seem worried, however. His staff gave Jacobs a four-year, $48 million deal at the start of free agency as a replacement for Aaron Jones, a Packers fan favorite.
Gutekunst has been on a hot streak of savvy moves the last few seasons. Still, time will tell if replacing Jones with Jacobs was the right move.
Expect a MarShawn Lloyd to Get Touches
Jacobs is expecting a bigger role in Green Bay’s offense. That doesn’t mean that rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd will be put to the side.
The Packers took Lloyd in the third round of the 2024 draft. He was an explosive rusher for the USC Trojans in 2023, averaging an impressive 7.1 yards per carry. He’s a compact runner at 5-foot-9 and 220 pounds, with the burst and play speed to be a legitimate home-run threat.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has already spoken very highly about Lloyd. During offseason workouts, Stenavich mentioned that the rookie will add “an explosive element” to Green Bay’s offense. He also stated that he’d want to get Lloyd onto the field as much as possible.
That’s high praise from Stenavich, but Lloyd isn’t guaranteed a role in the offense. He had significant fumble issues in college, coughing the ball up eight times in three seasons.
As long as Lloyd can keep the ball from hitting the ground, he should be able to sneak in some touches behind Jacobs.
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