The Las Vegas Raiders have said they want Josh Jacobs to be a part of the team going forward and he has also said he doesn’t want to leave. Despite the two sides’ mutual interest in him staying, there has been little progress regarding a new contract. Jacobs currently has the franchise tag placed on him but he has yet to sign the tender.
That means he can’t participate in any offseason activities. There’s still time for the two sides to come to an agreement now that the draft is over but it remains to be seen what kind of deal the Raiders are willing to give him. One thing is certain: Las Vegas can’t afford to lose Jacobs. That’s a sentiment that Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson holds. He believes the Raiders need to figure out how to keep the All-Pro running back.
“We gotta have Josh Jacobs,” Woodson said on the April 29 episode of the “BLACK OUT Podcast.” “The year they drafted him, I remember tweeting, ‘I like this kid.’ He has that thing about him with that football in his hands.”
Why Raiders Need to Re-Sign Jacobs
Not a lot of things went right for the Raiders last season. The team went 6-11 and lost nine games by one score. They didn’t come close to returning to the playoffs and quarterback Derek Carr was benched due to poor play. Jacobs was one of the few things that was working for Las Vegas.
He led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards and was named First-Team All-Pro. He was arguably the best running back in the league last season. While it was Jacobs’ best season, it wasn’t a fluke. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons. Paying running backs is something that teams don’t like doing anymore but Jacobs doesn’t have a concerning injury history and is only 25 years old. He also works hard and provides strong leadership for the team. The Raiders have already let go of locker room favorites like Carr, Darren Waller and Trent Sieg. Not paying Jacobs could be a recipe for some tension between the players and the coaching staff.
Contract Talks Still Haven’t Heated Up
The Raiders have almost certainly spoken to Jacobs’ agent about the next steps for his contract but it appears things haven’t heated up yet. Vincent Bongisnore of the Las Vegas Reivew-Journal had a chance to update the situation between the two sides but didn’t have much to give.
“Still pretty quiet as it relates to the Raiders’ talented running back,” Bonsignore wrote. “The Raiders have been clear they won’t reveal the nature of the contract talks, so it would be presumptuous to characterize them one way or another. It will be interesting to see what happens next month when the Raiders hold their mandatory minicamp, and whether or not Josh Jacobs attends.”
The Raiders have until July 15 to come to an agreement with Jacobs. If nothing is reached by then, it’s possible things could start to get ugly. Regardless of what happens, the team should aim to have a resolution before that date.
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Charles Woodson Reveals What Raiders Need to Do With Josh Jacobs