Yet another brave soul is crossing swords with the running back market as Raiders RB Josh Jacobs heads to free agency. Jacobs played out a one-year deal with the Raiders last year that was slightly higher than the franchise tag after he held out all of training camp in protest.
Unfortunately, Jacobs couldn’t repeat his 2022 season where he led the NFL in rushing yards. 2023 was actually the worst year of his career, both in terms of total yards, scoring and efficiency. Las Vegas’ struggles at quarterback and on the offensive line were mitigating factors but regardless, Jacobs heads into free agency without quite the same wind in his sails he had last year.
The veteran running back is still only 26 years old, however, and has a solid track record of success as a feature back. He’s a lot better than any running back to hit the open market in a few years. It’s still an open question about what kind of deal that turns into.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor signed a contract worth $14 million a year and he was the first running back not to significantly move the market backward in years. Something between $10-$12 million a year is probably more realistic for Jacobs. He’s still a good player and there will be teams interested — to a point.
Jacobs, 26, was selected with the No. 24 overall pick by the Raiders out of Alabama in 2019. He later agreed to a four-year, $11,933,394 rookie contract that included a $6,698,832 signing bonus.
Las Vegas declined Jacobs’ fifth-year options ahead of the 2022 season, which set him up to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023. The team then used the franchise tag on Jacobs worth $10.09 million fully guaranteed for the 2023 season. However, the two sides agreed to an amended one-year deal after Jacobs held out during training camp.
In 2023, Jacobs appeared in 13 games for the Raiders and rushed for 805 yards on 233 carries (3.5 YPC) to go along with 37 receptions for 296 yards and six total touchdowns.
We have him included in our Top 100 2024 NFL Free Agents list.
Bears
Staying in Las Vegas would make a ton of sense for Jacobs, and in the end the team the most familiar with him might be the one that puts the best offer on the table. However, if he leaves the Bears are another candidate to watch.
Chicago has plenty of cap space again this offseason and has been focused on retooling the roster with quality contributors. The Bears haven’t been picky about positional value when it comes to their free agent spending. Last year, they threw out big-money deals to LB Tremaine Edmunds, LB T.J. Edwards and G Nate Davis despite a massive need at edge rusher, receiver, tackle and cornerback. They eventually got around to signing a defensive end, but the Bears have primarily used the draft and trade market to go after premium positions.
They could follow that strategy again this offseason. Often teams that are looking to add a finishing touch to their offense will be more aggressive going after help at running back, as the position is so sensitive to the quality of the supporting cast. The Bears have put a lot of work into revamping their offense, and especially if they’re going to be relying on a rookie quarterback in 2024, running back is one of the last few remaining positions that could use a major upgrade.
A feature back like Jacobs is a logical target, and there have been some rumors connecting him to Chicago as a landing spot. He’d give presumed No. 1 pick Caleb Williams another weapon to lean on and Jacobs’ physical rushing style could be especially important for the Bears as they get later in the season.
Chargers
New Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh has indicated the running game is going to be huge for them. He’s been less confident when talking about the status of RB Austin Ekeler. After a tough 2023 season, it seems likely the two sides will go their different ways. Without any other outside additions, that would leave just Isaiah Spiller to shoulder the load of Harbaugh’s grand ambitions. He has just 55 career carries — a mark Harbaugh’s starting back would hit by Week 3 if the coach had his way.
Los Angeles is still working its way through some cap issues but the Chargers are expected to be major players in a strong free agent running back class. They have several targets to choose from but Jacobs could stand out due to his age and his proven ability over his career to carry a heavy load. He’s a versatile back who can do just about anything a team would ask at a high level, but in 2022 when he led the NFL in rushing he did so largely on the back of gap scheme runs. That’s a tool the Chargers and OC Greg Roman are expected to lean on heavily this coming year.
Titans
There might be some other teams who are better fits on paper for Jacobs, like the Ravens, Cowboys or Texans. But the Titans have too much cap space to ignore. Tennessee also has a void at feature running back with RB Derrick Henry set for free agency and unlikely to be back.
Perhaps the Titans don’t want to dedicate another big-money deal to a running back and will turn to the draft or a low-cost free agent to team up with RB Tyjae Spears in the backfield. Still, the Titans have plenty of money to spend and there are a couple of connections on the coaching staff worth noting. New OC Nick Holz was an assistant with the Raiders early in Jacobs’ career, and last year’s Raiders interim OC Bo Hardegree is now the QB coach for the Titans.
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