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After five years with the Las Vegas Raiders, running back Josh Jacobs is moving on. The former Pro Bowler signed a four-year contract with the Green Bay Packers at the start of free agency.
However, it sounds like he was hoping to remain in Las Vegas. Jacobs posted an interesting message on his Instagram story.
“When a players leaves it’s always the player being unloyal at what point do we ask the franchises for that same loyalty?” Jacobs wrote.
That certainly sounds like Jacobs didn’t feel like the Raiders were loyal to him. He’s always been a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve so it’s not a surprise that he’s upset the team didn’t re-sign him. Jacobs has been a staple for Las Vegas.
He was a first-round pick in 2019 and has been the lead running back since. He’s been to two Pro Bowls and led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards in 2022. He even went so as to get the Raiders logo tattooed on him. Jacobs had expressed interest in returning to the team after Antonio Pierce was hired as head coach but the team wasn’t able to match what the Packers were able to offer him.
Las Vegas Raiders Tried to Re-Sign Josh Jacobs
Though Josh Jacobs is set to be a Packer in 2024, the Raiders did attempt to sign him. According to The Athletic, Las Vegas was simply outbid by Green Bay.
“The Raiders wanted to bring Jacobs back. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco both said so at the NFL Scouting Combine last month,” The Athletic wrote in a March 11 column. “The Raiders met with Jacobs’ agent Chad Wiestling that week in Indianapolis and communicated that they were interested in re-signing the running back to a long-term extension, according to a league source. The Raiders felt good about their chances to retain Jacobs going into the start of free agency and a source briefed on the matter described them as “optimistic” a deal would get done. However, they were outbid by the Packers.”
Jacobs is getting $48 million from the Packers, which is a steep price to pay for a running back. General manager Tom Telesco hasn’t been keen on paying running backs in the past so it’s not a surprise he wasn’t willing to match $48 million. It’s unclear what the Raiders’ final offer was but it must not have been close to what Green Bay was offering.
Las Vegas Raiders Miss out on Austin Ekeler
Zamir White is likely to be the Raiders’ starting running back next season but the team does need to add at least one more. Former Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler made some sense in Las Vegas due to his previous ties to Tom Telesco. According to a March 11 X post from CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, the Raiders were interested in possibly signing Ekeler.
However, Ekeler decided to sign a two-year contract with the Washington Commanders, per a March 11 X post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The running back market is quickly drying up so it’s more likely that the Raiders end up drafting another running back in April.
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