It will be strange, after five years of watching one of the last first-round running backs do well in silver-and-black, to see him play for a team other than the Raiders. Josh Jacobs put on the uniform for any team besides the Raiders. RaidersLeading up to free agency, it seemed likely that the team would re-sign Jacobs, and he appeared to be pleased with Antonio Pierce becoming the permanent head coach.
Plus, general manager Tom Telesco stated that Jacobs would be a priority, and the team would make a strong effort to bring him back on a long-term contract. The Raiders chose not to use the franchise tag on Jacobs, allowing him to enter free agency.
“I do want to establish a philosophy with the Raiders that we do like to sign our own,” Telesco said about Jacobs.
Instead, the Packers made a larger offer than the Raiders were willing to offer, and Jacobs left. You might wish Jacobs well, or if you're more spiteful, you might be interested to know that there's a chance he won't succeed in Green Bay. Packers That's the opinion of analyst Gilberto Manzano of SI.com, who wrote that Jacobs will be one of the “busts” in Green Bay.
Raiders Were Outbid by Packers Gilberto Manzano of SI.com predicted that Jacobs will be a “bust” in Green Bay, as he signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers that the Raiders were unwilling to match.Raiders Were Outbid by Packers
The Packers surprised many by giving the former Raiders star a
four-year, $48 million contract with $14 million guaranteed up front, an offer the Raiders did not match. It’s a somewhat misleading deal because the Packers can opt out after each season, meaning that if Jacobs turns out to be a bust after one year, he could potentially return to the Raiders.
How could Jacobs struggle in Wisconsin? Manzano believes he is better suited for a run-focused offense with a average quarterback like
Aidan O’Connell Gardner Minshew or . Jacobs might not be a good fit for the pass-heavy Packers offense, especially not at that price.Manzano stated, “This move, however, doesn’t make sense from a personnel perspective and a budgeting standpoint.”
The Packers did not necessarily need a featured back. They could have paired AJ Dillon, who re-signed for one year and $2.7 million, with a rookie or another veteran without committing $14 million. The Packers are on the rise with Love and a group of promising receivers. Now they need to figure out how to involve Jacobs significantly, potentially disrupting the chemistry from last season.
“Jordan Love Josh Jacobs: Off Year or Losing a Step?
There’s no doubt Jacobs is among the top running backs in the NFL. He
led the league with 1,653 yards rushing in 2022 and also led the league with 87.2 yards per game. He was an All Pro and a Pro Bowler that year, averaging a career-high 4.9 yards per carry. The Packers would love to have that version of Jacobs. But 2023 was a different story for Jacobs. The Raiders' offense struggled at the start of the season under Josh McDaniels, and only slightly improved when Antonio Pierce took over on October 31. After Pierce's arrival, he promised to consistently involve Jacobs, which improved his performance, but his yards per carry did not improve much.
Jacobs ended the year with a career-worst 3.5 yards per attempt. Before Pierce, the number was 3.1, and after him, it was 3.9, which was an improvement but not a complete change. It's possible that even at 26, Jacobs has become slower.
If there's a reason to doubt this for Jacobs, it's the fact that he was sidelined for the final four games of the season with a quad injury and was substituted by a second-year player.
That's a good place to start. White rushed for 397 yards in those four games. Zamir White In addition, he averaged 4.7 yards per carry, with the same offense Jacobs had in front of him. Maybe Jacobs will disappoint the Packers. And if that's the case, he might go back to the Raiders. Alternatively, perhaps White will flourish and become a star in his position.Raiders' star Josh Jacobs has moved to Green Bay, and SI.com foresees that he might not succeed with the Packers.
Perhaps Jacobs will be a bust for the Packers. And maybe he returns to the Raiders if so. Or, better yet: Maybe White blossoms into stardom in his place.
