The ongoing saga between the Las Vegas Raiders and All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs continues to hang over the franchise as training camp has gotten underway. The two sides were unable to work out a new deal, and Jacobs is not at training camp, having refused to sign the franchise tender.
The other big-name running back who refused to sign the tender, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, eventually came to terms on a one-year deal with his team and there was some hope that possibly Jacobs and the Raiders could do the same. In fact, it was reported that the Raiders were open to re-starting talks with their top back.
But while they are reportedly open to it, no actions have actually taken place as, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there is nothing currently happening between the Raiders and Jacobs:
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, nothing is currently happening between the Raiders and Jacobs.
It’s a continuing theme. Not much has happened, at all, between the Raiders and Jacobs. There were no substantive talks before the Raiders applied the franchise tag. There were no substantive talks until June, when an offer was made by the team — perhaps for the sole reason of allowing the team to say an offer had been made.
Nothing ultimately happened. It wasn’t even remotely close to happening. The long-term deal offered by the Raiders was still, as a practical matter, a one-year deal.
This is unfortunate to hear and just further drives home the idea that Jacobs likely won’t be around for the entirety of training camp. It is still unclear whether he would holdout into the regular season, but the relationship between the Raiders and their star running back could be fractured beyond repair.
Perhaps it is Jacobs who is refusing to engage with the Raiders, but as Florio pointed out, previous history would suggest the Raiders aren’t really serious about really making a deal happen.
And the need is clearly there for the Raiders at the position as the team recently worked out a pair of veteran backs in Rex Burkhead and Damien Williams. This would suggest that the team isn’t completely comfortable with the group they currently have in camp of Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden and Brittain Brown.
It is hard to envision the Raiders being at their best without Josh Jacobs on the field, but when he returns to the silver and black, if he does at all, remains up in the air.
