The Las Vegas Raiders chose not to use the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs for a second consecutive season, making the running back a free agent this offseason. Last offseason Jacobs skipped all of training camp after not coming to a new long-term agreement with the Raiders, sparking a big conversation on running back pay in the NFL overall.
Jacobs would eventually return to the Raiders just prior to the start of the regular season but didn’t come close to reaching the level of the previous year in which he led the NFL in rushing. Injuries played a part in his struggles as well, but now the question is whether Jacobs will return to the franchise. Defensive leader Maxx Crosby certainly hopes that’s the case.
Crosby posted a picture to his Instagram story of himself hugging Jacobs with a fingers crossed emoji underneath, seemingly signaling his desire for the Raiders to strike a deal with the running back via Mitchell Renz of Raiders Report:
Maxx Crosby obviously wants the Raiders to bring back Josh Jacobs pic.twitter.com/4EAiuJlGVF
— Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365) March 5, 2024
One thing that is for sure is that when Crosby speaks his mind the franchise listens, as should be the case with one of the team leaders and best players in the world. The Raiders are a tight-knit group, and these players believe in what they have across the board. Jacobs has proven that he is someone who can make a huge difference for this team.
At only 26 years old Jacobs is a player who has not only proven he is amongst the best in the league right now, but also someone who can be a major contributor for years to come. And with the team likely going with a younger quarterback, having a reliable run game is of the utmost importance.
Crosby is always going to speak up on what he feels is best and in his mind, keeping Josh Jacobs in the silver and black is a necessity.
Raiders will ‘attempt’ to re-sign Josh Jacobs in free agency
It is unclear whether the two sides will be able to come to an agreement, but it appears the Raiders will at least make the effort to re-sign Josh Jacobs in free agency.
Reports suggested that even though the Raiders won’t use the tag on Jacobs, they do still plan on attempting to bring him back and Jacobs has previously expressed a willingness to return to the team despite the two sides going through their contract issues a season ago.
As was the case last year, it will be all about the money and whether the Raiders make a satisfactory offer as Jacobs is likely to have a lot of interest around the league.
