Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) walks off the field after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 13-31, during an NFL football game at Allegiant Stadium Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023.
Monday, Jan. 9, 2023 | 1:20 p.m.
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The 2022-2023 NFL season’s leader for receiving touchdowns, Davante Adams, has already stated his desire to return to the Raiders next year. So too now has the 2022-2023 NFL season’s rushing champion.
Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs, who rushed for a league-high 1,653 yards during the regular season, made it clear he wanted to be back in silver and black for a fifth season Monday at the team’s Henderson headquarters.
“Obviously for me, it’s got to make sense,” Jacobs said. “But this is obviously where I want to be. Coming in, I remember sitting down with Maxx (Crosby) and all these guys and just talking about the Raiders’ organization and the culture and wanting to be a part of the change. I still feel that way. Hopefully I’ll be back.”
Coach Josh McDaniels built his offense around Adams and Jacobs in his first season at the helm of the Raiders, a plan of attack he’ll likely carry into the 2023-2024 season. There’s an abundance of options for the Raiders’ next quarterback, but the lead back and top receiver roles appear to be accounted for if everything goes according to plan.
Adams was all but guaranteed to be back regardless because of the $140 million contract he signed last offseason. Less outward clarity exists on Jacobs, however, after the Raiders declined his rookie fifth-year option before the season.
He’s set to hit free agency unless the Raiders never let him get there with a long-term contract extension or a one-year franchise tag. McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler maintained all year that their offseason decision to not lock up Jacobs wasn’t binding.
A scenario existed that Jacobs could play well enough that they would want him back. Now, they’ve confirmed to no surprise, that they want Jacobs back.
“He kind of embodies all the things that we want a Raider to be so we look forward to that,” McDaniels said. “Dave and I have talked about that. JJ and I have had private discussions about those kind of things. I think all that will play out in due time, but we love him and would love to have him continue to be a Raider.”
If Jacobs indeed stays, it won’t be for the bargain rate of $8.8 million that would have come with exercising the fifth-year option. The franchise tag would be for an estimated $12.6 million according to Pro Football Focus and any lengthier deal would range in that neighborhood on a per-year basis — if not more.
Jacobs outplayed every running back in the league this season — he also led the NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,653 — so he’ll want to be paid among the elite. San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey is currently the highest-paid running back in the NFL with a four-year deal that averages $16 million per season.
“Life comes with peaks and valleys and it’s all about how you handle it and how you go about each situation even in rough times,” Jacobs said looking back on the year. “I feel like that’s when you’ve got to dig in deep and work even harder. I feel like I just try to embody that, coming in here with these guys, seeing smiles on their faces, uplifting and being encouraging.”
The Raiders’ 6-11 record challenged Jacobs’ positive mindset at times. After a loss to the Steelers that all but eliminated the Raiders, Jacobs lashed out saying he was “tired” and didn’t “know what else to do” to get the team over the hump.
“I feel like you always kind of have thoughts in your head,” Jacobs said when asked if the frustration made him think about starting fresh with another team. “It wasn’t even enough thoughts for me to really take it seriously. It was just more so me trying to get the guys to figure out what we need to do moving forward. I’m all about progression.”
Jacobs had calmed by the time he returned to practice the next week and mentioned that he still hoped to be with the team long-term. And on the final day this year’s team spent together cleaning out their lockers and attending season-ending meetings, Jacobs reiterated that he wanted to remain with the Raiders.
“We definitely had the right mindset especially by the way we go about working and things like that,” Jacobs said. “It’s definitely the best working group I’ve been around since being in the NFL. It’s just about putting the little pieces together right now and identifying what the little pieces are.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
