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There is no end in sight with the Josh Jacobs holdout for the Las Vegas Raiders. Second-year running back Zamir White has been getting the bulk of the first-team reps in training camp but the team has decided to add another body to the running back room.
Damien Williams is signing with the Raiders, per an August 11 tweet from his agent Ian Greengross.
The Raiders will be familiar with Williams from his time with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 and 2019. He was part of the group that won the Super Bowl for the 2019 season. He was most recently with the Atlanta Falcons last season where he played in just one game due to a rib injury.
Williams is a bit of a dual threat. He has 154 receptions for 1,209 yards over his career. Williams likely isn’t a threat to White for the starting running back spot if Jacobs’ holdout continues to linger. He only has 1,397 rushing yards across eight seasons. He’s a bigger threat to Ameer Abdullah as the team’s third-down running back.
Las Vegas Raiders Rescind Josh Jacobs’ Franchise Tag
The Raiders and Josh Jacobs aren’t allowed to negotiate a long-term contract until after the 2023 season. The only options are for Jacobs to sign the franchise tag tender, for the two sides to agree to a restructured one-year contract or for the Raiders to rescind the franchise tag altogether.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Las Vegas rescinding the franchise tag and saving $10.1 million in salary cap space is a real possibility.
“Jacobs, we’re told, is aware of the possibility and unconcerned about it,” Florio wrote in an August 5 column. “He knows that $10.1 million won’t be there, if he’s suddenly a free agent in late August or early September.”
Jacobs is a leader on the team and led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards last season. Rescinding his franchise tag and putting him in a position to have to play at a steep discount in 2023 could send a potentially controversial message to the locker room. It could also lead to him trying to get back at the Raiders.
Josh Jacobs Could Get Poached by Rivals
In the event that Josh Jacobs does get his franchise tag rescinded, he should have some suitors. Though he’s unlikely to get the $10.1 million the franchise tag would get him this season, he could go to a contender at a discount. Mike Florio revealed that two AFC West teams are keeping an eye on the situation.
“But he would still have a plan. He would be inclined to take the best deal he could get from a contending team, starting with the Chiefs,” Florio wrote.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Chiefs and Broncos are among the teams interested in Jacobs. And while the Broncos could be a considerable way from contender status, they’d be an option at the right price.”
Jacobs going to either of the Raiders’ rivals would not be good for the team. That said, they might not be a contender this season anyway so it might not matter to the coaching staff where Jacobs ends up for the 2023 season. Regardless, as the season gets closer, this situation becomes more interesting situation to watch.
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