Why Josh Jacobs didn’t re-sign with the Las Vegas Raiders

The bombshell news that superstar running back Josh Jacobs wouldn’t re-sign with the Las Vegas Raiders was a shock to many football fans, especially those in Vegas. The two-time Pro Bowl running back has had a somewhat tenuous relationship with the franchise for the past couple of years, due to contractual disagreements more than anything else. 

General manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce desperately wanted to keep one of their most exciting offensive players, but even their sweet talking couldn’t convince Jacobs to stay. Now that the fallout has cleared and he’s joined the Green Bay Packers, football fans have spent more time getting to grips with why he left. 

While it was hard news for many Raiders supporters, at least they didn’t also have to deal with the departure of Davante Adams. General manager Telesco started that Adams was going nowhere, so Josh Jacobs should be the only high-profile departure leading into the 2024-2025 season. 

Keep reading for a breakdown of why Jacobs rejected the opportunity to re-sign for the Raiders, what’s next for the running back, and whether his old franchise will cope. 

Josh Jacobs and the Las Vegas Raiders: an overview 

Josh Jacobs had been a Raider since before the franchise moved to Las Vegas, having been picked in the 2019 NFL Draft when the team was still playing out of Oakland, California. He made an immediate impact in the team, rushing over 1,000 yards in his first two seasons. Jacobs was named in the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2019, before evolving to the Pro Bowl the season after. 

And this was just the start of his impressive accolades. The 2022 season is widely regarded as his best so far, as he led the entire NFL with 1,653 rushing yards and over 2,000 scrimmage yards. These statistics made him a surefire candidate for the 2022 All-Pro First Team, although Jacobs hasn’t quite matched these impressive numbers in his previous couple of seasons. 

Josh Jacobs: a quick career history 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty regarding Josh Jacobs and his decision not to re-sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, let’s explore a very brief history of his career. 

As mentioned above, Jacobs started his professional football career at the Oaklands Raiders before recently moving to the Green Bay Packers due to the contract disagreements that we’ll analyze later in this article. Before that, he played college football for Alabama.

What’s behind Josh Jacobs walking away from the Raiders?

So, what was behind Jacobs’ decision to walk away from the Raiders? The extended contract negotiations between the running back and the Raiders have been public knowledge for a while. After his sub-par 2023 season, it seems the franchise were keen on reducing his pay on a discounted deal – the first bump in the road. 

But this wasn’t the only reason behind his reluctance to re-sign. Jacobs was craving some kind of NFL trophy with the Raiders, but they didn’t win anything in his five years at the franchise. Here’s what he said in a candid interview after the news broke:  

“So I didn’t have the answers. And that’s the part that was the most frustrating. It’s like, okay, you do everything that you’re asked of, but you still don’t get the result that you want or this or that. And it’s like you’ll be close, but every year you’re close, but it’s not winning. So that was a big thing for me, too. I’m like, ‘Man, you all want me to come back on a discount and lose? I don’t know how I feel about that.’”

While the financial element was certainly a sticking point, saying it was the only reason why Jacobs refused to sign a new deal isn’t true. The star running back deserves to be in a team that can compete for the Super Bowl – or at the very least, a division championship. Unfortunately, the Raiders struggled to realize these ambitions, so it’s no surprise Jacobs went elsewhere, especially after the prolonged contract negotiations made him feel unwanted. 

What’s next for Josh Jacobs? 

A player of such quality was never going to be out of the limelight for long, so it was not surprising when the Green Bay Packers came calling. The legendary sports team was prepared to pay Jacobs $48 million for a four-year contract, and the running back jumped at the opportunity to become one of their star players. 

With the talismanic Aaron Rodgers leaving in 2022, the Packers are undergoing a transformation with new quarterback Jordan Love at the heart of new offensive plays. Fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of Josh Jacobs linking up with Love – it could easily set the foundation for a new period of dominance. 

What’s next for the Raiders? 

And what’s next for the Raiders? Jacobs’ departure wasn’t quite the catastrophe it could have been, due to his underwhelming season last year. He was ruled out of the last few games due to injury, with Zamir White deputizing brilliantly. White will get a chance at the starting berth next season, and who knows – maybe the Raiders will have a new star on their hands.