The Raiders are keeping Jalen Richard.
On Wednesday, the club agreed to sign the running back to an extension, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Richard lit up the stat sheet in Jon Gruden‘s first year at the helm by finishing 2018 with 68 catches for 607 yards, plus an average of 4.7 yards per carry in a limited sample size.
Last season, the numbers weren’t quite as flashy, but Richard still showed value as a solid third-down running back with soft hands. Richard caught 36 passes for 323 yards in 2019 and added another 145 yards on the ground on 39 carries. He also returned some kicks for the Raiders.
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but the Raiders have likely locked down Richard for multiple seasons. Last year, Richard, 26, earned roughly $3.1M on a deal he signed in April. This time around, he’s found security in a fresh pact far in advance of free agency.
As the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas, they’ll continue to feature Josh Jacobs as their primary tailback. As a rookie, the Alabama product amassed 1,150 yards in 13 games, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
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