Las Vegas Raiders: 5 bold predictions for the 2022 offseason
Las Vegas Raiders: 5 bold predictions for the 2022 offseason
Bold Prediction 5: Raiders decline Josh Jacobs’ fifth-year option
Josh Jacobs has been excellent for the Raiders when he has been on the field. In his first two seasons, especially, Jacobs showcased his ability to be one of the top running backs in the NFL. Even with suspect offensive line play, he has shown that he can succeed in less-than-ideal conditions, being towards the top of the league in missed-tackles forced every year since he has been in the league.
In the Alabama product’s first two seasons, he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and in 2020 he found the endzone 12 times. This past season, his rushing total fell under 900 yards, but he got a lot better as the season went on.
Despite all of this, though, the Raiders will not pick up Jacobs’ fifth-year option. First of all, the option would put Jacobs’ salary at north of $10m. Compared to other deals around the league for running backs, this would put Jacobs in the upper echelon.
Considering Jacobs’ consistent lack of availability and the Raiders’ overall struggles in the running game, picking up the option would prove to be a risky investment. Additionally, Josh McDaniels, coming from New England, has proven time and time again that he does not value selecting running backs high in the draft or paying them big money.
There is no reason to believe that this tendency will be any different with Josh Jacobs. While Las Vegas may re-sign him to a smaller deal once his contract is up after the 2022-23 season, don’t be surprised when they decline his fifth-year option this off-season.