After the Las Vegas Raiders were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal with Josh Jacobs, the running back did not report to training camp earlier this week.
The Raiders and Jacobs spent months trying to agree on terms, but the two sides were unable to make headway by the July 17 deadline which means the All-Pro won’t be able to sign a multi-year deal until next offseason. Jacobs could decide to sign the franchise tag which is worth slightly more than $10 million, though he could also choose to continue sitting out well into the 2023 season.
It’s unclear how much money Jacobs was angling for in negotiations, though he did express that he wasn’t trying to reset the market. However, it appears Las Vegas did offer an enticing number via Mike Garofolo on The Rich Eisen Show:
“My understanding is that Josh Jacobs got an offer from the Raiders around $12 million per year,” Garofolo said.
At $12 million a year, Jacobs would’ve been one of the highest-paid running backs in the league. He would’ve joined the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Derrick Henry and while he could eventually get that sort of money, it doesn’t feel like it will be from Las Vegas.
It’s hard to imagine that Jacobs would’ve turned down that amount of money if it was really on the table, but perhaps there were snags about the guaranteed amount and for how many years. There were reports that the Raiders’ offer didn’t hit $22 million in guarantees, so that would surely help explain why there was no agreement.
While the Alabama product seems intent on holding out for as long as possible, things could change, and he could end up signing a one-year deal. Saquon Barkley was in the same exact position, but despite how upset he was with his situation he ended up agreeing to a one-year contract with incentives that could be worth more than the franchise tag.
There’s no telling what will happen in the next few weeks, but the Silver and Black must brace for the possibility that they’ll be without their starting running back in 2023.
Melvin Gordon doesn’t believe Josh Jacobs should holdout into 2023 season
Running backs around the league have expressed their displeasure with how their position group’s been treated by teams. Melvin Gordon has been outspoken about the issue, but he did advise Jacobs not to hold out into the regular season.
