A longtime member of the Las Vegas Raiders is set to move on from the organization this offseason. Yet, even with Derek Carr expected to join a new team, the Raiders have another key contributor who could be departing the franchise in the next month or so.
Josh Jacobs, after leading the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The Raiders could have gotten ahead of this problem by picking up the fifth-year option of the 2019 first-round pick’s contract prior to the start of the 2022 season, but seemingly preferred to see how productive the former Alabama star would be under coach Josh McDaniels.
It’s easy to see now just how big of a mistake that was by general manager Dave Ziegler, being that Jacobs could have been under contract for just $8 million in 2023-24 but now will instead be in a position to ask for a much bigger pay raise. Will Jacobs enter free agency looking for the biggest payday possible, or will he value his experiences with the Raiders so far?
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Josh Jacobs wants to stick with Las Vegas Raiders, for the right price
Jacobs has already won by having the best season of his career during his contract year. But he’s also pushed back against the idea of playing out next season on the one-year franchise tag.
It’s clear that Jacobs, like many others, would prefer the long-term security of a contract extension over being paid $10.09 million under the running back franchise tag next year.
“I would be a cluck not to explore [free agency]. But I’m not going to lie, this is where I want to be. I’ve grown a fan base here, I’m deep into this organization, I’ve broke records and I built a home here. This is where I want to be, but at the same time, it’s got to make sense. I’m not going to let them come in and disrespect me or anything like that. So it just has to make sense.”
Josh Jacobs on his potential future with the Las Vegas Raiders
It’s only fair for Jacobs to want to test the open market. Many players only get the chance to be wooed by multiple NFL teams once in their careers, if that.
In Jacobs’ case, he gets to do so in the prime of his career, coming off posting a personal best of 2,053 yards from scrimmage. Some teams just might value his ability to pound the rock more than the Raiders do, but that doesn’t automatically mean Jacobs is seeking to leave Las Vegas. He just wants to know what all of his options are before making his final decision. We can’t fault him for that.