The Las Vegas Raiders and RB Josh Jacobs have agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, sources tell NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Rapoport reported that Jacobs and his agent Chad Wiestling flew to Las Vegas this week to meet with team officials. Now, the NFL rushing champ is coming back.
This is a similar contract to the one Saquon Barkley signed with the New York Giants, which was a one-year, $11 million deal. Now, the only holdout remains Jonathan Taylor, who is in a standoff with the Indianapolis Colts.
It is impossible to overstate what Jacobs did in 2022, his fourth NFL season. His 393 touches are one thing, and it helped him set new career marks in rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns, but his ranking seventh in the league (minimum 200 carries) in yards per carry is something else. At 25 years of age, Jacobs is hitting the prime of his career and hopes to build on his All-Pro 2022 season.
What Does This Upgraded Contract Mean for Josh Jacobs and the Raiders Next Offseason?
Jacobs, Barkley, and the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard all signed one-year deals after receiving the franchise tag this offseason. Jacobs and Barkley both signed for more than the franchise tag.
This will raise the value of their contracts if they receive the franchise tag next offseason. Pollard will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason because he accepted the franchise tag.
Jacobs, Barkley, and Taylor could all be available to teams through a trade over the next year if they are unable to reach a long-term deal.
In June, Jacobs shared one of the reasons he’s holding out.
Sometimes it’s not about you. We gotta do it for the ones after us 🤷🏽♂️
— Josh Jacobs (@iAM_JoshJacobs) June 10, 2023
How running backs are being paid has been a hot topic over the last couple of months. Teams are reluctant to sign running backs to long-term deals because of how the position tends to wear down players. The league’s top running backs have been vocal about how much teams value them.
This is Criminal. Three of the best PLAYERS in the entire league, regardless of position. https://t.co/zDXRS5cGdu
— Christian McCaffrey (@CMC_22) July 17, 2023
Browns’ Nick Chubb, who is under contract through 2024, recently shared his views on the situation.
“The biggest thing is that we’re the only position where our production hurts us the most. If we go out there and run 2,000 yards with so many carries, the next year they’re going to say you’re probably worn down.”
Fantasy Impact: Josh Jacobs Signs Upgraded Deal with Raiders
– Fantasy analysis by PFN Fantasy Director Kyle Yates
Jacobs was absolutely unstoppable last year on his way to 2,000 all-purpose yards and an overall RB3 fantasy football title in Half-PPR scoring formats.
It would be safe to assume that a player of this caliber would be drafted easily as a top-5 option off the board the following season, but an ongoing contract dispute regarding Jacobs’ franchise tag held fantasy managers back from drafting Jacobs with confidence.
The talented RB has been away from the team the entire offseason up to this point, but he’s now agreed on a new contract structure and will be reporting to the team immediately.
Does this mean that fantasy managers should draft him as a top-3 RB off the board though? Not necessarily due to the fact that Jacobs isn’t in complete game shape, and the team has been tentatively making other plans this entire preseason. PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe has more on Jacobs’ fantasy outlook.
Jacobs will be the featured player in this offense as the season moves along, certainly, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to receive 20+ touches right out of the gate. Samir White has looked good in relief of Jacobs this preseason, and we could see the team split the carries between these two to begin the year.
This assumption places Jacobs at RB7 in my Half-PPR rankings. With other options like Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley, and Bijan Robinson that have just as much upside above him in ADP, there’s no need to reach for Jacobs.
However, if he’s there in the middle of the second round of your draft now though, he should be a smash selection for your lineup.
What Does This Mean for the Raiders?
The Raiders needed Jacobs and the consistent production he has had in his first four years. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing last season and has rushed for 40 touchdowns in his career.
Without Jacobs, the depth chart at running back lacked proven NFL success, with Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, and Brandon Bolden competing for snaps.
The Raiders are coming off a 6-11 season and a third-place finish in the AFC West. Josh McDaniels is entering his second season as head coach. The team has the 16th-toughest schedule in the league.
The Raiders also have a new starter at quarterback, with Jimmy Garoppolo replacing Derek Carr, who signed with the Saints in the offseason. Garoppolo played for McDaniels with the Patriots for three seasons when McDaniels was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Jacobs and wide receiver Davante Adams are one of the top offensive duos in the league. They combined for over 3,500 total yards and scored 26 of the team’s 40 touchdowns last season. Adams is happy with Jacobs’ return to the team.