The future of All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs with the Las Vegas Raiders continues to be one of the biggest question marks for the team as training camp nears. The Raiders placed the franchise tag on Jacobs, but there is still time for the two sides to come to an agreement on a long-term deal.
However, signs haven’t been pointing in the best direction so far, and Jacobs has made his displeasure known through multiple social media posts. More often than not in these situations, a player will eventually sign the franchise tender if that new contract isn’t agreed upon and ultimately join the team in camp. But there is a chance that Jacobs could be one of those exceptions.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and hinted at the fact that Jacobs could hold out into the start of the regular season via Bleacher Report’s Erin Walsh:
“The one that nobody’s talking about is Josh Jacobs, the reigning NFL rushing champion. At this point if there’s not a long-term deal, I don’t anticipate Josh Jacobs being there at the start of training camp and I don’t know that he shows up Week 1,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.
The last player to do something like this was another running back in Le’Veon Bell who sat out the entire 2018 season after being franchise tagged by the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second time. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the Raiders are hopeful that isn’t the case for Jacobs and that he will join the team, via Walsh:
“I have not sensed a lot of momentum for a deal coming down the pipe right now. Jacobs recently tweeted ‘bad business,’ which is not a good sign that things are going all that well. Certainly a $10.1 million tag would be available to him. I’m told the Raiders are pretty hopeful that he would show up to camp even if they don’t get a long-term deal done but they have to negotiate in earnest leading up to that deadline.”
The two sides have until July 17 to agree to a new deal so there is still time for the Raiders and Jacobs to figure this out. For the sake of the team on the field, it would be a massive blow if Jacobs isn’t out there.
The running back is coming off the best year of his career as he led the entire NFL in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. He is surely deserving of that long-term deal he is seeking, but it remains to be seen whether the Raiders will give it to him.
