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The Las Vegas Raiders offense has disappointed this season but there’s been one player who has exceeded every expectation of him. There was talk in the offseason that the team would move on from running back Josh Jacobs. They declined the fifth-year option on his contract and drafted his replacement in Zamir White.
Jacobs responded by having the best season of his career. He leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,495 and has 11 rushing touchdowns. He also leads the league in total yards from scrimmage with 1,858. He has set himself up for a massive payday in the offseason. The Raiders may have actually done him a favor by declining his fifth-year option. It’s clear that the team underestimated how big of an impact he could make and might need to change their thought process.
However, the Raiders may not get a chance to keep Jacobs unless they use the franchise tag. If that doesn’t happen, David Kenyon of Bleacher Report believes that the two-time Pro Bowl running back should “seek” employment with a new team:
The Raiders could slap the franchise tag on Jacobs, preventing him from actually reaching the market. He should use any shred of leverage to avoid it, though, as running backs have a narrow timeline to land a substantial contract.
Considering how much the Raiders have invested in Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, they aren’t likely to dole another long-term contract to a skill-position player.
Las Vegas has a clear path to keeping Jacobs, but the thought of him joining a team such as the Baltimore Ravens or Philadelphia Eagles is appealing as well.
Raiders Need to Keep Jacobs
The New England Patriots never paid running backs while Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler were there but they also never had a running back as good as Jacobs. There’s a real argument that he’s been the best in the NFL this season. He may even be an MVP candidate right now if the Raiders had a better record.
Las Vegas was supposed to make waves with its passing attack this season but it has been Jacobs who has led the offense. It’s possible that White could be an adequate replacement but there aren’t many better players at rushing the football on the planet. The Raiders clearly need to spend some money on upgrading the defense but it’s hard to imagine they’ll simply let Jacobs walk in free agency. At the very least, he’s likely to get the franchise tag.
Does Jacobs Want to Be a Raider?
A big thing that works in the Raiders’ favor if they hope to keep Jacobs is that he wants to stay in Las Vegas. He’s got the Raiders shield tattooed on him and has a lot of love for the fan base. He also said in the offseason that he wants to stay with the team.
“I’m a firm believer in the work that you put in is going to pay out for itself, and I had to be here either way,” Jacobs said in July, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “And this is where I want to be. I didn’t have no problem with it. It just gave me more of a reason to come in every day, gel with the guys and work.”
If Jacobs does want to stay with the team, that’ll help the Raiders but they still have to be willing to pay him the big bucks.
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