To Pay Or Not To Pay: The Josh Jacobs Dilemma Facing The Raiders

With the new salary cap in place for the league year, the Las Vegas Raiders face a conundrum regarding All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs.

Big news dropped earlier this week that will have major ramifications for the upcoming league year. The salary cap will be set at $255.4 million, according to NFL media—that’s quite a jump, a jump that’ll benefit the Raiders tremendously. So, what does that mean for No. 8 and his future in the Silver and Black?

Well, there are different schools of thought when it comes to this situation. Let’s face it, it’s precarious.

The fans want Josh Jacobs back…

Raider Nation often finds itself attached to individual players—Derek Carr, Maxx Crosby, etc.—there’s nothing wrong with that; that’s why they’re fans. Said players have played through injuries, they’ve bled, and they’ve sacrificed. The fact is, these players have earned the loyalty of Raiders fans. As a result, it’s not wrong for them to want to see them get their due—a pay day.

However, the NFL operates as a business, and the Raiders are not exempt from this reality. Now, from a team standpoint, Jacobs is a leader in that locker room alongside Davante Adams and a few select players. If you decide you’re not paying him, what message does that send? Of course, these guys are all professionals, but this is a tough spot for new general manager Tom Telesco, who’s inheriting this mess.

The Raiders can draft a new running back…

Speaking of Telesco, he doesn’t need to pay Jacobs if he chooses to. Instead, he could draft a running back to replace him and pair with Zamir White. On the other hand, how often have the Raiders been able to say that they have an All-Pro in their midst, even if it’s an expendable position, such as running back?

Contrarily, with Luke Getsy taking the reins as offensive coordinator, wouldn’t you want to give him as many weapons as possible? That’s especially true when we start to look at the quarterback position. That in itself is the biggest wild card for this team—why not alleviate the situation with Jacobs running hard again (assuming he’s 100% again)?