Raiders news: Jimmy G back before training camp, Josh Jacobs not at minicamp

The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off minicamp this week, and two notable stars were absent for two very different reasons.

The saga that is Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo took a step in the right direction on Tuesday, as it was announced that he will be ready for the start of training camp. In fact, Jimmy G is coming along so nicely that he will be back and ready go before camp kicks off, which is perfect news for the Raiders franchise.

Las Vegas decided to end the nine-year run with Derek Carr at quarterback this offseason, and Garoppolo was a signing that made sense due to his relationship with head coach Josh McDaniels. Garoppolo knows the system, has won in a big way at the NFL level, and with very little behind him on the depth chart, his not being available to start the season would have been a nightmare for the Raiders.

Raiders need to get a deal done with Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs ran all over the NFL last season in a breakout campaign that should net him a new contract with the Raiders. Jacobs led the NFL in both rushing and all-purpose yards, all the while doing it after the front office refused to pick up his fifth-year option the summer before.

Now, with Jacobs firmly established as one of the best young running backs in the game, the Raiders have to find a way to get him under contract. They placed the franchise tag on him this offseason to buy some more time to work on a deal, but with Jacobs not signing it, he was obviously not at minicamp this week.

Due to the fact he has not signed the franchise tag, Jacobs is in no violation of team rules, but it would be nice to see him out on the field with his teammates. Running back is very thin this season, and with a big change at quarterback coming up, the Silver and Black could certainly use a heavy dose of No. 8 in 2023.