Since the first day he was drafted, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs has been one of the best running backs in the NFL. However, despite rushing for over 3,000 yards combined yards and 28 touchdowns over his first three seasons, he undoubtedly had his best season in 2023.
Finishing with a league-leading 1,653 yards on the ground and twelve touchdowns, Jacobs flourished under new head coach Josh McDaniels and made up the entirety of the rushing offense.
For Jacobs, the career year could not have come at a better time as he was in the last year of his rookie contract and had his fifth-year option declined the off-season prior. As such, Jacobs was slated to be a hot commodity on the open market before the Raiders placed the franchise tag on him.
Thus far, the Las Vegas front office has maintained that they intend to sign Jacobs to a long-term deal. However, with no deal materializing, the question now becomes if he will play on the tag this season. If not, the Raiders could look into trading him to a team that wishes to sign him long-term.
Other than Jacobs, the other running backs on the roster are Zamir White, Brandon Bolden, and Ameer Abdullah. While the team is high on White and has roles for Bolden and Abdullah, it is likely they would like to add another back in the absence of Jacobs. If this is the case, these three backs could fit the bill on a one-year deal.