The Green Bay Packers are just a few weeks away from the start of training camp, and new running back Josh Jacobs is hoping to avoid breaking an NFL record once the season begins.
Jacobs has had a productive career catching passes out of the backfield. He’s racked up 197 receptions in the NFL, recording at least 20 catches every season. However, Jacobs has never recorded a receiving touchdown over those five seasons.
According to B/R Gridiron, Jacobs could set the record for most career receptions without a touchdown. All he needs to do is catch five more passes without finding the end zone.
Josh Jacobs is 5 receptions away from owning the record for most career catches without a TD (h/t r/NFL)
It’s not the kind of record a player wants to break, but as long as the Packers can keep moving down the field, Jacobs probably won’t mind.
Josh Jacobs Has Had Plenty of Offensive Success
A record like that one sounds worse than it really is. That’s because Jacobs has been one of the most productive running backs in the league over the last few seasons.
Jacobs was a first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders back in 2019. Despite limited touches at Alabama, he showed enough flashes to warrant a first-round pick.
The move panned out for the Raiders. Jacobs finished with at least 1,000 rushing yards in three of his five seasons with the team. He also had a nose for the end zone with 46 rushing touchdowns in five seasons, including two different years with 12 TDs.
Jacobs’ best season came in 2022, when he led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards. The breakout season helped him earn first-team All-Pro honors, but he came back to earth the following year. He averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on a disappointing Raiders offense, logging career-low marks in yards and touchdowns.
The Packers are banking on the 2022 version of Jacobs to return this season. He’s still just 26 years old, and the Packers believed in him enough to give him a four-year, $48 million contract at the start of this year’s free agency period.
As long as Jacobs can come close to replicating his 2022 performance on the ground, the Packers won’t care whether or not he can find the end zone through the air.
Green Bay’s Other New Running Back
Replacing Aaron Jones was never going to be an easy task. However, adding Jacobs and third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd to the backfield should help.
Lloyd was an explosive, compact runner for the USC Trojans in 2023. Coming in at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, he finished the college season averaging an impressive 7.1 yards per carry with 820 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
The Packers liked Lloyd enough to take him in the third round of this year’s draft. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich is already letting everyone know how impressed he is with the rookie’s ability. He went as far as to tell reporters that Lloyd could add an “explosive element” to the offense in 2024.
The biggest concern for Lloyd will be his fumbling problems. He had eight fumbles over the last three seasons, and his 8.75-inch hands might play a factor.
As long as he can cut those fumbles down, Lloyd should be able to play a sizable role in Green Bay’s defense as a rookie.
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Josh Jacobs Nearing an NFL Record in 2024