Paul GutierrezESPN staff writer3 minutes of reading
Henderson, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Josh Jacobs, who has yet to sign his $10.091 million franchise tag and hasn’t participated in any offseason programs or training camp, returned to social media Saturday. Team.
“I came,” Published by Jacobs.
A team source confirmed that Jacobs will return to the team, although he will not be with the Raiders in Dallas for Saturday night’s exhibition finale against the Dallas Cowboys.
According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Jacobs was in Las Vegas and agreed to a one-year rework deal that could be worth up to $12 million with a one-game roster bonus.
Raiders owner Mark Davis was happy to have Jacobs back and reiterated his feelings for Jacobs.
“I love him, I love Josh,” Davis told ESPN.com. “He’s phenomenal. He was the heart of our team, in my mind. He came to play every day. Tough, tough, tough guy. Really proud of him. He’s a rider. If 22 Josh Jacobs is on the roster, with that mentality, it’s amazing.”
Sources told Schefter that Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels met with Jacobs and his agent this week at a restaurant on the Strip to do some groundwork for a deal. The two sides discussed the structure of the agreement reached on Saturday.
Sources said Jacobs is expected to return to the team on Sunday.
Jacobs, the team’s first-round pick in 2019, had his fifth-year option not picked up last season when Ziegler and McDaniels took over. Jacobs responded with a career year.
In rushing for 1,653 yards, Jacobs became the first Raiders player to lead the NFL in rushing since Marcus Allen in 1985. Jacobs led the league in touches (393) and from scrimmage (2,053) and tied a career high for the NFL’s longest run this season, his 86-yard walk at the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 27, with 12 rushing. Touches. His 400 receiving yards on 53 catches was a career high.
With Jacobs out, sophomore Jameer White handled the load as the starter, and he rushed for 83 yards and a TD on 23 carries in two exhibition games. White had 70 rushing yards on 17 carries as a rookie last season.
“Josh can either run you over or outrun you,” Raiders offensive lineman Jermaine Elmunor said. “Jameer is going to rush you and he doesn’t care. Nine times out of ten you know if he opens a hole and he goes to the defense, that’s pretty cool for guys like that. He’s going to run him and score.”
“Like I said, Josh — there’s nobody like him — but we’re lucky to have a guy like Zeus. [White].”
Jacobs was not fined because he was not under contract and did not sign the tag by the July 17 deadline.
McDaniels said it was Jacobs’ right to stay away, and he respected that and said the team would welcome him back. McDaniels, whose offenses have traditionally used a run-by-committee approach, adapted to Jacobs’ productivity last season and didn’t sense a change in philosophy.
“You go with what’s the best thing for the team to do,” McDaniels said early in training camp. “Of course, it was [Jacobs] Last year. I don’t expect this year to be any different.”
Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants also initially declined to sign his franchise tag, but in late July agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants that fixed his tag.
Hall of Famer Allen, Jacobs’ mentor, lamented that the money market was devaluing the money market.
“I’m going to say it — it’s almost like a conspiracy,” Allen said at a Raiders alumni reunion earlier this month.
“Instead of looking at each one individually, they decided that their productivity was only going to be short-term. They decided as a group, they weren’t going to pay them. So, I can understand what’s going on.” [running backs are] Thinking and what they feel. So, I hope things get resolved because for me, [Jacobs is] Like the heart and soul of the team.”
