The plight of running backs in the NFL has been one of the biggest stories of this offseason, and it has continued on into training camp. Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs has been at the forefront of the talks as he still has yet to report to the team after being franchise-tagged and the two sides being unable to agree to a new contract, but he is far from the only player at his position to be frustrated.
Jonathan Taylor, star running back of the Indianapolis Colts who led the league in rushing in 2021 has grown frustrated at his team’s reluctance to work on a new contract extension and has requested a trade. The Colts have officially given Taylor permission to seek a deal, and it is anyone’s guess as to whether something will come together before the start of the season.
This development led to some wondering whether the Raiders could look to trade Jacobs as the Colts are doing with Taylor, but according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Raiders have shown no interest in dealing Jacobs prior to the season:
While the #Colts let Jonathan Taylor seek a trade, league sources say the #Raiders have shown no interest in trading their star RB Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs hasn’t signed his tender, and no deal is imminent to get him into camp. The NFL rushing champ’s status for Week 1 remains TBD. pic.twitter.com/5y7JOOuRf6
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 23, 2023
Even though Jacobs has yet to sign his tender or report to training camp, there is still some hope that he will eventually return to the team. Recent reports have suggested that he is expected to return to the Raiders before the regular season begins which would be a huge boost to the Raiders offense.
It is no secret how important Jacobs is to the Raiders with star receiver Davante Adams expressing his frustration at the fact Jacobs hasn’t been at camp. The Raiders have all the pieces to be one of the best offenses in the NFL, but without Jacobs and a strong run game, that task becomes much tougher the Raiders are looking to win now so dealing him for draft picks doesn’t appeal to the franchise.
Unfortunately for Jacobs and many backs around the league, teams have been reluctant to offer big-money contracts to players at the position, regardless of success, due to the short shelf life at the position. Teams have experienced success by going cheaper at the position and with quality players able to be had, players like Jacobs, Taylor and others will struggle to get the deals they feel are deserved.
