With the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign a new deal passing on Monday, the Las Vegas Raiders and star running back Josh Jacobs now must look forward to what is next. The two sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract and it seems likely Jacobs will sit out most, if not all, of training camp.
Jacobs has been pretty outspoken this entire offseason on his frustrations about the inability to reach a new long-term deal with the Raiders. His plight, along with that of New York Giants back Saquon Barkley has led to talks around the sports world about the valuation of running backs in today’s NFL.
But despite all of the issues, it sounds as if there is no major tension between Jacobs and the Raiders. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the two sides remain on good terms, and there is belief that Jacobs will ultimately report to the Raiders at some point:
According to a person close to the situation, the Raiders and Jacobs ended Monday on good terms. In fact, in a sign of how close they were to striking a deal, Jacobs was sitting in his car in the parking lot of the club’s Henderson headquarters in case he needed to hurry upstairs to sign a contract ahead of the deadline.
The sense is even on a disappointing day there was an amicable vibe. One that leaves those involved hopeful that Jacobs will eventually report to work.
There are a couple of options for Jacobs now, the most likely of which seems to be him eventually signing the franchise tender worth $10.1 million and playing out the upcoming season with the Raiders before entering free agency again next year. While he won’t have his desired long-term security, it is the best option for Jacobs to get that in the future if he has another outstanding year.
The issues for the running back position as a whole is an entirely different question however as they are amongst the lowest-paid positions in the NFL. Many current and former players have spoken out about this issue and how backs deserve better, but how they could change the system is unclear.
As it stands, Jacobs could choose to sit out the entire season, but that has rarely happened throughout the course of NFL history. The fact that there seems to be no ill will toward the Raiders franchise from Jacobs would seem to make it more likely that he will eventually suit up in the silver and black this season.
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