The Las Vegas Raiders are set for their preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, but once that is done, the team will need to get ready for their regular season opener on September 10 against the Denver Bronco. But the big question for the Raiders remains whether or not star running back Josh Jacobs will report to the team and be in uniform when they take the field.
Of course, after leading the NFL in rushing last season Jacobs had hoped to sign a long-term deal with the Raiders, but they instead hit him with the franchise tag. The two sides were then unable to agree to a new deal before the deadline, but Jacobs has yet refused to sign the franchise tender and thus hasn’t reported to training camp.
There have been questions on whether Jacobs would ultimately sign the tender, or perhaps the Raiders would rescind the offer and make him a free agent or even possibly trade him. But it looks as if the Raiders will finally be getting their star running back on the field as Rondo Carpenter reports that there is belief that Jacobs will be in the building to sign his franchise tender:
There is a sense inside the Raiders facility, that RB Josh Jacobs will be in the building today to sign his franchise tag.
— Rondo Carpenter (@RondoCarpenter) August 25, 2023
The Raiders getting Jacobs in the building at this time would be huge as it would still give them around two weeks to get back up to speed and ensure he is in proper game shape by the time the regular season rolls around. There is no doubt that Jacobs has been working out and is ready to go, but there is only so much you can do in individual workouts.
With Jacobs in the backfield, the Raiders offense truly has the chance to be one of the best in the entire NFL. Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Renfrow are an excellent receiving trio and rookie Michael Mayer has the potential to make a huge impact immediately. But Jacobs is the key.
With new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo now under center, having that run game will do wonders to opening up the rest of the offense and allowing Garoppolo to operate to the best of his ability. The Raiders’ hopes of a playoff push are that much greater with the NFL’s leading rusher back in the building.
