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The clock is ticking for the Las Vegas Raiders and running back Josh Jacobs. The team placed the franchise tag on the NFL’s leading rusher earlier in the offseason, but if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal by July 17, they will have to table discussions until after the 2023 season.
The other option would be for the Raiders to rescind Jacobs’ franchise tag and let him enter the free agent market. However, he’s only 25 years old and has rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons as a pro. He still has value for the team. Jacobs has not signed his franchise tag tender and was not present for organized team activities. League rules don’t permit him to participate in practice until he has signed the tender. He has yet to technically hold out, but that could be the next step. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, he thinks an extensive holdout could be on the horizon.
“The one that nobody’s talking about is Josh Jacobs, the reigning NFL rushing champion. At this point, if there’s not a long-term deal, I don’t anticipate Josh Jacobs being there at the start of training camp and I don’t know that he shows up Week 1,” Pelissero said during a June appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show.”
What If Josh Jacobs Does Holdout Into the Season?
Contract holdouts that spill into the regular season are rare in the NFL. The reason for that is the money involved. Josh Jacobs is set to earn $10.1 million on the franchise tag this season if he doesn’t reach a long-term deal. He made an average of $2.98 million on his rookie contract so playing on the franchise tag would be a significant raise, per Spotrac.
However, it wouldn’t provide any long-term security. If Jacobs does decide to hold out, he’ll have until November 14 to sign the franchise tag tender. If he doesn’t sign by then, he will not be allowed to play for the remained of the season and would forego the $10.1 million he’s supposed to make.
What Would the Las Vegas Raiders Do Without Josh Jacobs?
Josh Jacobs was the bell cow for the Raiders last season. He played 75% of the team’s offensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference. He rushed the ball 340 times and the player with the second-most carries on the team was Zamir White with 17. Removing Jacobs from the offense would leave a significant void.
White would be the favorite to take on the workload left by the Pro Bowler. The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Georgia averaged 5.3 yards a carry in college but hasn’t had a chance to prove if he can be an effective NFL running back. The fact that the Raiders used the franchise tag on Jacobs shows that they think he’s still their best option, but White is an intriguing option. Brittain Brown would be another player to watch. He was a seventh-round pick last year and stuck on the roster all season despite not taking a single carry. A big preseason from him could earn him a role on the offense. Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden are the veterans of the group, but both are better receivers than runners.
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