By Tashan Reed, Vic Tafur, Jeff Howe and Larry Holder
The Las Vegas Raiders have placed the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs, a league source confirmed to Athleticism. Here’s what you need to know:
- Jacobs, 25, will cost $10.1 million for the Raiders’ salary cap in 2023 if he signs the tender and doesn’t land a long-term contract.
- He earned his first First-Team All-Pro selection and second Pro Bowl selection in the 2022 season after leading the league with 1,653 rushing yards, adding 12 touchdowns. Jacobs also led the NFL with 393 touches and 2,053 yards from scrimmage.
- Jacobs rushed for 4,740 yards with 40 touchdowns, as well as 160 catches for 1,152 receiving yards, during his four-year career.
GO FURTHER
Ranking the 150 best free agents in the NFL: Quarterbacks and game defensemen dominate the top 10
Athleticism instant analysis:
Why the Raiders made this move
The Raiders gave Jacobs the non-exclusive franchise tag which will net him $10.091 million. He’s technically allowed to trade with other teams once free agency begins on March 13, but even if a team gave him a contract the Raiders didn’t want to match, they’d have to give up two first-round picks to acquire it; no team in the league does that. So, Jacobs is effectively locked in with the Raiders on a one-year deal.
It’s important to note, however, that Jacobs and Raiders could still agree to a multi-year contract before July 17, which is the deadline for players who have been tagged as a franchise to do so. General manager Dave Ziegler and representatives for Jacobs have already had several conversations about an extension and may continue those discussions throughout the offseason. Jacobs previously indicated he would be okay with playing on the franchise tag this year, but only if the Raiders build the roster around him. If that doesn’t happen throughout free agency and the draft, Jacobs could get unhappy. And, at that point, the only way to appease him would be through a long-term deal.
It’s too early to tell which direction things will go, but a range of results remain, including Jacobs playing on the franchise tag, Jacobs refusing to play on the tag and sitting out, Jacobs demanding a trade and the Raiders signing Jacobs for an extension. In short, this remains a situation to watch in the weeks and months to come. — Reed
Jacobs thrived during the contract year
We’ll never know how motivated Jacobs was by the Raiders not picking his fifth-year option (he says not at all), but he lost 10 pounds, didn’t miss a game and led the league in rushing with 1,653 yards. (4.9 meters per span). He also had a career-high 400-yard reception and continued to be a solid blocker in pass protection. Would Ziegler do the very unpatriotic thing to give a running back a big, long-term contract? — Tafour
GO FURTHER
Which NFL teams need to upgrade their running back units? Ranking of the 32 teams by stability and need
Inside Jacobs 2022 Advanced Metrics
In terms of Pro Football Reference’s “approximate value” measurement, Jacobs finished with a 15 AV, placing him as the No. 1 running back of the 2022 season. This ranked him among the No. 16-25 with the following players: Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Eagles tackle Lane Johnson, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey , Eagles rusher Haason Reddick, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and the 49ers tackle Trent Williams.
Jacobs finished second in the league in Sports Info Solutions’ “Total Points Earned” metric, just one point behind the Browns’ Nick Chubb. It ranked second among rushers (minimum 100 carries) for rush attempt success rate at 44.2%, via TruMedia. Cordarrelle Patterson of the Falcons placed first. — Incumbent
Required reading
(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today)