Josh Jacobs and the Raiders remain on good terms despite ugly, messy contract negotiations
Being vocal, camping outside the Las Vegas Raiders training facility, and going on a media tour regarding a desire to return wasn't enough to land a lucrative contract extension for star running back Josh Jacobs. The deadline to get a multi-year deal passed on Monday, and Jacobs, who said he would hold out of training […]
Being vocal, camping outside the Las Vegas Raiders training facility, and going on a media tour regarding a desire to return wasn't enough to land a lucrative contract extension for star running back Josh Jacobs.
The deadline to get a multi-year deal passed on Monday, and Jacobs, who said he would hold out of training camp if he didn't receive a lengthy and expensive payday, remained far away from a legitimate contract getting signed.
Despite the disappointing outcome for Jacobs, he reportedly is still in good standing with the organization, according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Between Las Vegas and Jacobs, though both sides are disappointed by a lack of certainty, the relationship remains amicable. It sounds as though the two sides of the contract negotiation do want to try and work something out sooner than many would expect.
Jacobs currently is best described as disappointed but not resentful. Yet, that can change. And in the NFL, those feelings can shift quickly.
But that depends completely on how the Raiders carefully navigate training camp with or without Jacobs.
The benefits of having Jacobs hold out of training camp are that it gives the organization an opportunity to really look at second-year running backs Zamir White and Brittain Brown.
Heading into 2022, it was believed that the Raiders would be a running back through a committee team. Yet, when Jacobs quickly became the league's best rusher, White and Brown took a backseat.
If Jacobs holds out for the entirety of training camp, the Raiders will get to really see what both Whtie and Brown are made of as rushers.
Still, given the relationship Jacobs still has with the organization, the most likely scenario is that Jacobs plays the 2023 season under the franchise tag. It may not be what he wants, but paying a running back top-dollar in the modern NFL isn't a sustainable way to win.
The Raiders and Jacobs will never reach a contract that both parties are entirely happy with. They will have to find a middle ground. But for the Raiders to see Jacobs' value, he has to keep playing, keep being available. If he isn't, he may watch young prospects take the position he used to have by a stranglehold from him quickly.
Raiders: Josh Jacobs earns more proof that he is in the right regarding his contract extension
The Las Vegas Raiders just got further confirmation that they must pay star running back Josh Jacobs.
Feature image via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.