Former Packers star wants Raiders to immediately offer Josh Jacobs new deal - “Earned the right to get paid”
Josh Jacobs entered the 2023 NFL offseason seeking a long-term contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders. He led the entire league in rushing during the 2022 season, so he obviously has a strong case to be one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL.
The Raiders decided to go a much different route by their franchise tag on their star offensive player.
Jacobs is reportedly extremely frustrated with the Raiders' decision and is rumored to be considering sitting out the 2023 NFL season if he doesn't receive a long-term contract.
Former wide receiver James Jones recently appeared on an episode of "The Carton Show" to give his take on the developing situation. Here's what Jones had to say:
“Josh Jacobs has earned the right to get paid. Pay my guy his money, right, so he can get in that building. You guys need Josh Jacobs in that building as a leader, as a guy on that offense, you need Josh Jacobs in the building. He was clearly the best player on the offensive side of the ball last year, arguably the best running back in the game.
"We all know how running backs’ mindsets are right now. Their careers are not that long, and their money is not that long, right? They are trying to get everything they can when they have the upper hand … They have to find a way to get Josh in that building if they want to have an opportunity to get to the playoffs and win some football games.”
“The Las Vegas Raiders have to find a way to get Josh Jacobs in that building if they want to have an opportunity to get to the playoffs and win some football games.”
— @89JonesNTAF https://t.co/2P4rQWrt0m
While James Jones spent eight of his nine NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders for the other year. This makes him more familiar with the franchise than most.
He clearly seems to share Jacobs' frustration with the way they are doing business. Unfortunately, it's been a common theme for running backs around the NFL.
Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard entered the 2023 NFL offseason also seeking long-term contract extensions. The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys used the same strategy as the Raiders, placing their franchise tags on their star running backs.
Teams have been much more reluctant to pay running backs large contracts in recent years, especially considering their major injury risks and relatively short careers. This is bad news for Jacobs, as an extension from the Raiders seems unlikely, at least for now.
How much will Josh Jacobs make on the 2023 NFL franchise tag?
The franchise tag for running backs is set at $10.1 million for the 2023 NFL season. Of the three running backs who were tagged during the offseason, just Tony Pollard has officially signed his tender.
Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley each have until July 17th to officially make their decision on signing it, if they don't first agree to a new contract extension.
If Jacobs decides to sit out the 2023 NFL season, he will forfeit the money he's owed on the franchise tag. While this is an extremely rare situation, it's been done before. Le'Veon Bell infamously sat out the 2018 NFL season after being in the same situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers.