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The Las Vegas Raiders‘ focus is almost solely on the draft right now so it makes it difficult for them to take care of other things. Once the draft is over, the team will have a list of things that needs to get done. Atop that list is Josh Jaocbs’ contract.
The NFL’s leading rusher for 2022 was slapped with the franchise tag this offseason but has not signed the tender. There’s time for the contract situation to be resolved but Jacobs can’t be involved with any offseason activities until he signs his tender. The Raiders appear motivated to keep him around and Jacobs wants to stay. General manager Dave Ziegler recently gave the latest update on the running back’s contract situation.
“[Jacobs] hasn’t signed the tender yet so obviously, he’s not allowed by NFL rules to be here for this portion of the offseason program,” Ziegler said during his April 21 media availability. “But we’re going to continue to work through that situation. And as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not going to really do the contract negotiation and those types of things in the public eye. I just don’t think that’s responsible to do, or fair to do, for any of the parties involved. And so, we’ll just keep working through that process and see where it goes.”
Will Jacobs Play on the Franchise Tag?
Jacobs is currently in an interesting situation. If the Raiders had better foresight, they would’ve picked up his fifth-year option last year and wouldn’t have needed to use the franchise tag. If he plays on the franchise tag, he’ll get paid more than he would’ve if the Raiders picked up his option.
However, running backs don’t have the longest NFL careers compared to other positions. He’s coming off the best season of his career and wants to get paid. Unfortunately for Jacobs, he doesn’t have a ton of leverage in this situation. If holds out and doesn’t sign the franchise tag, he’ll leave a lot of money on the table. The Raiders aren’t going to pay a running back too much money so if he wants a long-term deal, he’ll have to be flexible. In the end, Jacobs seems like the type of player who would play on the franchise tag if it was his only option but it’s difficult to know for sure.
Will Raiders Draft an RB?
Last year, the Raiders selected former Georgia running back Zamir White in the fourth round of the draft. The thought was that he’d replace Jacobs at some point. What the Raiders didn’t expect was for Jacobs to lead the NFL in rushing. That led to White only getting the ball 17 times last season. Las Vegas still likes him but it’s going to be difficult for him to see the field much when Jacobs is playing like a future Hall of Famer.
It remains to be seen if Jacobs can keep up his pace from 2022 and it’s also unclear if they still view White as his eventual replacement. The draft will be telling. If the Raiders draft a running back, it’s clear they want more insurance for Jaobs to eventually leave. If they skip out on adding to the position group, the chances of Jacobs getting a long-term deal would be much higher.
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