Packers HC caught off guard by signing of star RB

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that he was caught off guard by the team's offseason signing of star running back Josh Jacobs, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

Jacobs was one of the most-coveted running backs in a stacked free agency class after earning two Pro Bowl honors and one First Team All-Pro nod during his five seasons with the Oakland-Las Vegas Raiders. Jacobs posted three seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards after being selected 24th overall by the Raiders in 2019, including a league-high 1,653 during the 2022 campaign.

The Alabama product played in all 17 games two seasons ago and led the league with career highs in touches (393), rushing yards and yards from scrimmage (2,053). Jacobs finished fifth in the AP Offensive Player of the Year voting that season.

He was limited to 13 games in 2023 however, dropped to 270 touches and career lows in rushing yards (805) and yards from scrimmage (1,101).

Jacobs signed a four-year, $48M deal with the Packers on March 14, three days after the team released longtime star running back Aaron Jones.

The one-time Pro Bowler and 2017 draft pick signed a one-year contract with the rival Minnesota Vikings on March 12.

LaFleur said losing Jones was "really tough," per Schneidman's report on Tuesday morning.

"I think not only the football player, but the man. We’ve spoken so many times just how much he brought to our team that probably will never show up on the stat sheet in terms of just being a veteran presence in the locker room," the coach said. "He’s always been team-first. He walks the walk and he does everything. He’s just such a pro, so I think that’s always tough to replace."

While LaFleur admitted to not knowing "all the details" of negotiations with Jacobs, he said that the team is "super excited" about the addition.

"I think the first thing that jumps off to me is just his play style," the 44-year-old said. "Like he is tough, hard-nosed. He can be a high-volume guy. Just studying him, I think there’s more out there for him in regards to the passing game, using him out of the backfield. He’s put some really good choice routes on tape. That’s something we always try to get to."