Another Pro Bowl RB rejects franchise tag

Jacobs joins New York's Saquon Barkley as the second Pro Bowl RB not to sign the franchise tag and hold out of early offseason activities. Both want long-term contracts. 

Last season, Jacobs was first in rushing yards (1,653), while Barkley was fourth (1,312). Yet organizations keep veering away from long-term extensions for RBs since they often fail. 

According to Over the Cap, from 2011-20, 62.7 percent of RBs deals with three years or more were terminated early. The Cowboys, who signed RB Ezekiel Elliott to a six-year, $90M extension in 2019, recently released him after he averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season. 

Despite the legitimate reservations about giving backs exorbitant contracts, the exclusive franchise tag for RBs is a one-year, $10.1M deal, per OTC, the second-lowest among all players. 

Jacobs' desire to receive a better salary is understandable since he was integral to the Raiders offense last season, and he's only 25, meaning he's right in his prime.

However, the Raiders are in a tight spot since they only have $2.44M in cap space after free agency. Per Spotrac, Jacobs' market value is a four-year deal worth $12.8M annually.

Per NFL rules, Las Vegas and Jacobs have until July 17 to agree to a multi-year extension. Otherwise, they can only sign a one-year deal. Afterward, Jacobs could play under the tag or hold out until the Tuesday following Week 10 before his eligibility to play expires.

Regardless, the Raiders must keep Jacobs because his backups (Ameer Abdullah and Zamir White) aren't on the same tier.