The Las Vegas Raiders offseason began with the team retaining interim coach Antonio Pierce in an effort to keep the locker room happy. Now that the front office and coaching staff have been assembled, focus is shifting to running back Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs, a first-team All-Pro in 2022, regressed last season. After setting career-highs in rushing yards (1,653), yards per carry (4.9) and total touchdowns (12) a year ago, Jacobs’ production plummeted to career-lows in 2023, all of it happening in a contract year.
- Josh Jacobs stats 2023: 805 rushing yards, 6 rushing touchdowns, 3.5 yards per carry, 1,101 scrimmage yards, 4.1 yards per touch in 13 games
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The 5-foot-10 running back got off to a slow start after a prolonged contract holdout. In his first 7 games, Jacobs averaged just 2.94 yards per carry and 49.6 rushing yards per game. He did improve later in the year, averaging 76.3 rushing yards per game and 3.98 yards per carry from Weeks 8-14. However, a season-ending injury prevented him from heading into free agency with a strong finish.
Turning 26 years old on Feb. 11, Jacobs has already accumulated 1,502 touches in five NFL seasons. Poised to hit the open market at a time when a majority of NFL teams aren’t willing to spend heavily on running backs, there does appear to be at least one potential landing spot for him.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders have an interest in re-signing Jacobs this offseason “depending on the price” he asks for in a new contract.
Interestingly, per Fowler, Jacobs factored into the team’s search for an offensive coordinator. The featured back was “a topic during the team’s offensive coordinator interviews” as there was a focus on finding stability at running back because of the uncertainty at quarterback.
Las Vegas hiring Tom Telesco as general manager and retaining Pierce as head coach might give Jacobs a better shot at staying in Las Vegas. As general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers, Telesco kept running back Austin Ekeler around through his age-28 season and even increased his contract incentives last year amid a holdout over his salary.
- Josh Jacobs career stats: 5,545 rushing yards, 46 rushing touchdowns, 4.2 yards per carry
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However, the Raiders’ offense also experienced positive results with Zamir White. After Jacobs’ season-ending injury in 2023, White started the final four regular-season games and averaged 99.3 rushing yards per contest with a stellar 4.73 yards per carry average.
Jacobs has been a leader in the Raiders’ locker room and a need for more firepower offensively with the uncertainty at quarterback increases the odds of Jacobs sticking around. If he does want to become one of the highest-paid running backs, however, that would be a price point where the Raiders likely stay away. If that happens, Jacobs will be challenged to find the deal he’s looking for in a free-agent class of running backs that includes Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry.
