The Las Vegas Raiders have one of the best young running backs in the NFL in Josh Jacobs, and he will be needed in 2023 more than any other year of his career.
Last offseason, it appeared the Las Vegas Raiders and Josh Jacobs were entering their final season together. New general manager Dave Ziegler did not pick up his fifth-year option, and with him playing in the Hall of Fame Game, it spoke volumes about how the new regime viewed their young running back.
The truth is, they should have had more respect for him from the start, as Jacobs proved to be a dominant running back in his first few seasons in the NFL when healthy. A rare blend of rushing and pass-catching abilities, Jacobs is the kind of running back any franchise would love to build around, and he plays the game the right way.
Still, the Raiders were lukewarm on him early on, but all that changed when he led the NFL in both rushing and all-purpose yards. Jacobs proved to be one of the best young running backs in the league, and now, the tables have turned, with the Raiders needing to do what they can to get him signed to a long-term deal.