The Las Vegas Raiders are a couple of weeks into training camp, and there are still no signs of running back Josh Jacobs returning to the team. He has been away since the two sides couldn’t agree on a long-term contract prior to the July 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players to get multi-year deals.
Wide receiver Davante Adams has been an advocate for Jacobs to get paid and he admitted at training camp that he isn’t thrilled the running back isn’t in Las Vegas.
“Not having him right now is obviously something that I’m not happy with,” Adams told NFL Network’s Bridget Condon and Brian Shaw on August 6 during “Inside Training Camp Live.”
Adams went on to give Jacobs some high praise.
“Obviously, he played like the best back in the league last year, which if you ask me, he is the best back in the league,” Adams added. “So, it’s tough not having him at this part of the training period trying to get ready for the season, but we’ll see what happens down the line. Hopefully, we can figure something out.”
League rules don’t permit Jacobs and the Raiders to negotiate a long-term contract until after the 2023 season ends. The best the team can do is give him a one-year deal that would be an improvement over the $10.1 million that the franchise tag guarantees him.
“Not having him right now is obviously something that I’m not happy with…he played like the best back in the league last year, which if you ask me he is the best back in the league.” Davante Adams on the absence of Josh Jacobs @CoachDavidShaw @nflnetwork #Raiders
Josh Jacobs Named Raiders’ Best Player From 2022
Josh Jacobs has been a solid player for the Raiders since they selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft having rushed for over 1,000 yards in two of his first three seasons. However, he hit a new level in 2022 and led the league with 1,653 rushing yards while also being named First-Team All-Pro.
For his efforts, he was ranked as the 12th-best player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023 list. Davante Adams is just behind him at No. 13 and defensive end Maxx Crosby came in at No. 17, which means Jacobs was the highest-ranked Raiders player from last season. The list is voted on by the players so it’s clear that people around the league think very highly of Jacobs.
Zamir White Says Josh Jacobs Is ‘Fine’
With Josh Jacobs sitting out of training camp, 2022 fourth-round pick Zamir White has been taking the bulk of the first-team reps in practice. Though this is a big opportunity for him and he benefits from Jacobs not being there, he’s painting his relationship with the Pro Bowler. He revealed that he’s been in regular communication with Jacobs and gave some insight on how he’s holding up during the holdout.
“Josh [Jacobs] is a great guy,” White said during his August 5 media availability. “So yeah, he’s pretty good. He’s fine.”
There’s still a good chance that Jacobs returns to the Raiders this season unless he wants to give up on $10.1 million. In the meantime, White is just trying to put some work in and control what he can control.
“Just head down grinding, that’s about it,” White said. “I’ve just been focused on my part and just being here ready to work every single morning. That’s about it for me, grinding it out.”
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Davante Adams Admits He’s Unhappy About Star Player Not Being With Raiders