How Josh Jacobs fits as the Packers’ new No. 1 running back

By Tashan Reed, Larry Holder, Randy Mueller and Matt Schneidman

The Green Bay Packers are making quite the shift at running back by agreeing to terms with former Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Josh Jacobs and releasing veteran Aaron Jones, according to sources briefed on the matter.

I can confirm former #Raiders RB Josh Jacobs has agreed to terms with the Packers. He finishes his Raiders career third all-time in franchise history with 5,545 rushing yards.

Zamir White, it's your go.

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) March 11, 2024

Jacobs, 26, rushed for 805 yards on 233 carries with six touchdowns in 13 games last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. Last season, Jacobs played with the Raiders under the franchise tag coming off a 2022 season where he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl status. He led the NFL with 1,653 yards (4.9 yards per carry) along with 12 TDs.

There’s no doubt he’s been a workhorse since the Raiders took him with their 2019 first-round pick. Jacobs has tallied 5,545 yards on 1,305 carries (4.2 yards per carry) with 46 TDs along with 197 receptions for 1,448 yards and no TDs.

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Jones, 29, played 11 games for the Packers last season with 656 yards on 142 carries and two rushing touchdowns, along with 233 receiving yards on 31 receptions and one TD. The seven-year veteran back rushed for 5,940 yards and 45 touchdowns, as well as 2,076 receiving yards and 18 TDs.

The Raiders wanted to bring Jacobs back. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco both said so at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. The Raiders met with Jacobs’ agent Chad Wiestling that week in Indianapolis and communicated that they were interested in re-signing the running back to a long-term extension, according to a league source. The Raiders felt good about their chances to retain Jacobs going into the start of free agency and a source briefed on the matter described them as “optimistic” a deal would get done. However, they were outbid by the Packers.

How Jacobs fits

When news first broke, it appeared as if the Packers were set to pair Jacobs with Jones in their backfield because Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the season that he “absolutely” expected Jones back in Green Bay for the final year of his contract. However, the Packers will release Jones, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, after not being able to agree on a reworked contract that would lessen Jones’ 2024 cap hit of more than $17.5 million. Jacobs now takes over feature back duties in Green Bay by himself instead of sharing a backfield with another proven No. 1. Jacobs is no stranger to being a lead dog, as he had been the Raiders’ No. 1 running back since they drafted him in the first round in 2019.

2024 impact

After leading the NFL in 2022 with 1,653 rushing yards, Jacobs ran for less than half that in 2023 while playing in four fewer games. He also ran for only six touchdowns last season after finding the end zone 12 times on the ground the year prior. Jacobs’ decline in production was partly because of his health toward the season’s end and because of lackluster offensive line play. He turned 26 years old in February — he’s more than three years younger than Jones — and the Packers hope he can return to his 2022 level of production while staying on the field more than Jones did in 2023. Jacobs’ arrival likely doesn’t affect the status of AJ Dillon, Green Bay’s 2020 second-round pick who is an unrestricted free agent. The Packers likely can find a new No. 2 running back cheaper through the draft or elevate 2023 undrafted running back Emanuel Wilson, who flashed promise as a rookie.

History

Jacobs was the first running back drafted in 2019 when the Raiders took him at pick No. 24 out of Alabama. In five seasons with Oakland/Las Vegas, he ran for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns, an average of 1,109 yards and about nine touchdowns on the ground per season. Jacobs made the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team in 2019 before making the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2022 and being named a first-team All-Pro selection in 2022. Jacobs has also averaged almost 40 catches and 290 receiving yards per season.

Cap update

NFL Network’s Tom Pelisaro reported that Jacobs’ contract will be for four years and $48 million.

Outlook

It’s tough to gauge how replacing Jones with Jacobs affects the Packers’ Super Bowl chances for next season. Jones only ran for 656 yards and two touchdowns last regular season while enduring the most injury-hampered season of his seven-year career, but looked like an elite running back for the final three games of the regular season and in the playoffs. Jacobs suffered his own injuries and didn’t produce as much as the season prior, but he was the best running back in football in 2022 while playing all 17 games and is still significantly younger than Jones. Both running backs are among the most productive in the NFL when healthy and the Packers now must cross their fingers Jacobs stays healthier next season than either running back did last season. In the long term, Jacobs is the safer option given his age — the Packers might’ve kept Jones for only one more season even if they were able to agree on a reworked contract — and Green Bay’s new running back meshes more with the identity of a young, promising offense.

Mueller’s scouting report on Jacobs

Jacobs’ skill set combines what the Packers have needed two players — Jones (speed and agility) and AJ Dillon (power) — to give them in the past. He brings both to the table. Jacobs runs with very good pad level and power inside while still being elusive at the second level. He also has good hands and can make defenders miss after the catch. If healthy, he upgrades them at RB, without a doubt, even with Jones being released. — Randy Mueller, NFL staff writer

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(Photo: Jeff Bottari / Getty Images)