Josh Jacobs is one of three running backs who received the franchise tag this offseason. Tony Pollard is another, but he already signed his franchise tender, whereas Saquon Barkley and Jacobs have not. For the latter two, this means they face a Monday deadline to either sign the existing tag on the dotted line, reach a long-term extension, or sit out the season entirely.
Obviously, no football player wants to miss a year at the peak of their career. But it’s been done before, most recently by Le’Veon Bell, also a running back.
But most players prefer to sign a long-term agreement that offers more financial stability from year-to-year. Unless, of course, they are not being offered a fair amount for their services. In that case, we see players take the short-term approach, choosing to continue betting on themselves until they find someone who sees their value.
Related: Will Saquon Barkley Or Josh Jacobs Hold Out?
In the case of the Las Vegas Raiders, they have long been a bit stubborn about paying Jacobs. First they turned down his fifth-year player option ahead of the 2022 season. But this only led to an All-Pro season where he led the league in rushing.
Now it’s time to pay up, but the tag offers Jacobs $10.09 million. Naturally, he wants more, or at least a long-term commitment.
Yet, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the “financial gap” between Jacobs and the Raiders remains “too wide to close” by the Monday contract deadline.
As a reminder, this means Jacobs can either sign the franchise tender or play. Or sit out the season, barring a trade or last-minute contract extension. With both sides seemingly unwilling to budge, Jacobs’ contract situation is one of the top storylines heading into Raiders camp.
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