Why Josh Jacobs' Packers Contract is a Work of Art 4 Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Former NFL RB extremely bullish on Packers’ Josh Jacobs

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 1:34 PM ET

Josh Jacobs became the focal point of the Packers’ offense in 2024, his first season in Green Bay, and could be in for an even more explosive encore in 2025.

Jacobs rushed for 1,329 yards and a career-high 15 touchdowns in his first season in head coach Matt LaFleur’s system, his most dominant campaign since winning the rushing crown back in 2022 with the Raiders.

As the Packers look for quarterback Jordan Love to make significant strides in his third season as Green Bay’s starter, the pieces are in place for Jacobs to once again be a driving force of the offense that creates big-play opportunities for the weapons in the passing game deep downfield.

Packers’ Josh Jacobs surges up preseason rankings

Ahead of the 2025 season kicking off, former NFL running back and current analyst Maurice Jones-Drew lists Jacobs as the No. 3 player at the position across the league in his latest rankings.

“Despite handling more than 300 carries for the second time in his career in 2024,” Jones-Drew writes of Jacobs, for NFL Media . “The seventh-year back recently said he’s never felt better. That’s a great sign for a Packers offense that runs through him. Green Bay continued to invest in its passing game this offseason by drafting receivers with two of its first three picks (Matthew Golden and Savion Williams), but I expect the run game to again be the focal point of Matt LaFleur’s unit. We should see another highly productive year from Jacobs.”

While Golden’s game-breaking speed has the potential to take the top off opposing defenses and make Love and the passing game even more dangerous, Jacobs may become the engine that makes the entire offense go.

After all, Jacobs rattled off 33 explosive runs of 10-plus yards last season, sixth most in the NFL. If Jacobs is able to replicate that kind of big-play ability, it will make life much easier for Love and the weapons on the perimeter to take strikes deep downfield on what promises to be an explosive balanced offense this fall.

Key Josh Jacobs Stat Reveals Packers' Running Back's Dominance 3 Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) celebrates after a long reception and run in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins during their football game Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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