Getty Raiders Josh Jacobs
Given the way the last two weeks have gone for the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs, it’s hard to imagine that he’d wind up in anything but silver-and-black. Two weeks with a combined 214 yards rushing and two touchdowns—not to mention two wins—will get a running back and an offense right back to its roots.
But it was just three months ago that Jacobs was embroiled in a summer holdout with the team, in a quest to get a new contract done. Jacobs is one of just four running backs drafted in the first round in the last four years, so finding the right market for him (he was on his fifth-year option) was not easy.
In the end, Jacobs wound up with a modest raise for 2023 but no additional years on his contract. He is eligible for up to $12 million with incentives on his one-year deal, up from the $10.9 million he was slated to make if he had signed his option-year franchise-tag deal.
And so, despite the good vibes rampant around the Raiders these days, there is still the looming issue of Jacobs’ free agency next year, and the fact that he averages just 3.3 yards per carry.
According to one ESPN insider, Jacobs is a good candidate to land elsewhere—in Tampa Bay, in fact.
“His game has perked up in recent weeks, but that aforementioned average of 3.3 yards per carry could affect his bottom line,” wrote insider Jeremy Fowler. “Jacobs is still a lead back who’s perfect for a team dedicated to the run. Tampa Bay is just that and needs a decisive runner to complement Rachaad White.”
Raiders’ Josh Jacobs Under Pressure in 2023
There are many players under significant pressure in the second half of this season, but the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs is among the players facing the most pressure. Not only are the Raiders becoming more rushing-reliant under interim coach Antonio Pierce, but they are back in the fight for an AFC playoff spot.
Oh, and Josh Jacobs will be a free agent next year.
If the Raiders can keep pounding opponents with the run game and can keep finding ways to win, Jacobs could find himself a valuable commodity in a league that has come to value running backs less and less over the years.
Jacobs’ resume was sterling after last season. He ran for 1,653 yards, and became the first Raider since Marcus Allen in 1985 to lead the NFL in rushing. Jacobs also showed he was an accomplished receiver last year, with 400 receiving yards on 53 catches. All of those numbers were career highs.
Yet the Raiders would not pay him much beyond what his rookie deal provided. His incentives basically amounted to an extra $100,000 per game played. How much higher would the Raiders go in 2024?
Could There Actually Be a Jacobs Pay Cut Coming?
At Spotrac, they’re actually predicting something of a contract reduction when the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs gets a new deal in the offseason. They’re predicting a four-year contract worth $42.8 million.
That’s below the three years and $42 million Jonathan Taylor got from the Colts after his holdout, which ran into the season, ended. If Jacobs wants a deal like that, he will have to continue the kind of running he has shown in the past two weeks.
In all, Jacobs has 622 yards in a league-high 186 carries. He is on pace to get just over 1,000 yards rushing this year, which is solid but not worth $14 million per season. But then, Jacobs has averaged 107.0 yards in the past two weeks and if that keeps up, he will land near 1,400 yards for the season.
If that’s the case, it could be the last we see of the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs. It could be hello, Buccaneers. But there is much to be decided before then.