The Las Vegas Raiders have played two preseason games without Josh Jacobs, one of their biggest offensive stars, while the running back continues to holdout while angling for a better contract. But now Vincent Bonsignore’s league sources suggest Jacobs is “expected to report” to the Raiders before their Week 1 regular season opener on Sept. 10.
Jacobs has yet to sign the $10.09 million franchise tender the Raiders have assigned, which means he has not been subject to any fines since he is technically not on the team’s roster. Yet, he is not able to negotiate or sign a contract with any other team. He also can’t sign a long-term extension.
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Jacobs’ only option to remain with the Raiders this season is to sign his franchise tag or agree to a modified salary for the upcoming season, much like Saquon Barkley did with the New York Giants. Barkley agreed to a $10.09 million contract with a $2 million signing bonus added in.
- Josh Jacobs’ stats in 2023: 340 carries, 1,653 rushing yards, 12 TD, 53 receptions, 400 receiving yards
However, just because Jacobs has three weeks before the Raiders take on the Denver Broncos in Week 1, it doesn’t mean the team’s starting running back will already be in game shape. As Raiders coach Josh McDaniels recently indicated, he’d like to see the 2022 rushing leader report to camp as soon as possible.
“This is the National Football League, so it’s not easy to go out there and just play games and do it at the speed and level that you want to do it at, unless you’ve really kind of had enough opportunity to get yourself ready to do that.”
Josh McDaniels on the challenges Josh jacobs may face
Second-year-pro Zamir White has been handling the bulk of the workload in Jacobs’ absence. If Jacobs doesn’t report soon, we could see a lot more from White early on until the All-Pro back can get up to full speed.
Related: Can Josh Jacobs’ Las Vegas Raiders make the playoffs this season? See our predictions