The Las Vegas Raiders were never going to extend Jakobi Meyers on a long-term, lucrative deal. As unfortunate, and perhaps obvious now, as that is to say, it just simply was not in the cards for this team, as they couldn't afford to pay a player of his caliber what he was looking for.
Meyers is a very good wide receiver, easily the best Las Vegas had. He's not your prototypical No. 1 guy, but he is an elite ancillary piece. The Raiders, ultimately, did right by him, trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a playoff team with a good quarterback. That is better for Meyers.
Alongside other good wideouts like Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington, as well as a good tight end in Brenton Strange and a solid running back duo, Meyers has found much success in Jacksonville, and so has the team since his arrival.
Jaguars give Jakobi Meyers three-year, $60 million extension
On Thursday evening, the Jaguars rewarded Meyers by giving him a three-year extension, tying him to Jacksonville through 2028, first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the deal is worth up to $60 million, with $40 million guaranteed.
That is a MASSIVE payday for Meyers, and it is so well-deserved. Las Vegas was never going to pony up that kind of money for a fringe WR1, given all of their roster issues, but Meyers is well-worth that kind of contract, both on the field and in the locker room.
Since his arrival in Jacksonville, the Jaguars are 5-1, and they gained control of the AFC South. They were averaging 22.0 points per game before he joined the fray, and they haven't scored less than 25 since he's been a Jaguar. In fact, they're averaging 38.3 points per game since the trade deadline!
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Now, is Meyers solely responsible for that boost? Probably not. But he's been very productive, catching 27 passes for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns. He's led the team in receptions and catches in some games, but he also seems to be the glue that is holding this talented Jaguars offense together.
Meanwhile in Las Vegas, things have gotten much, much worse since his departure. Not only did Chip Kelly get fired, but the Raiders haven't eclipsed 17 points since Meyers left. They have scored only 64 points since Meyers was traded. The Jaguars scored 48 last week, and 36 the week before that.
Raider Nation isn't mad at Meyers at all, as he did want to stay in Las Vegas and he remained a professional throughout the tumultuous process. But Meyers successfully jumped off a sinking ship, and he got paid expeditiously to join a functional offense that's bound for the postseason. What a life!