Getty Image / Chris Unger
It has been tough out there for NFL running backs this offseason.
Austin Ekeler wanted a new contract from the Los Angeles Chargers and when he couldn’t get it, he started looking for a trade.
The trade never came and he ended up getting some incentives added to his contract by the Chargers.
At one point there were rumors going around that Derrick Henry was available for a trade.
Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott both got cut early in the offseason and haven’t found new teams yet.
Dalvin Cook was recently released and is still a free agent.
Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, and Josh Jacobs all ended up getting franchise tagged this season. Saquon hasn’t seemed too thrilled about his situation and hasn’t actually signed his tag yet, missing Giants minicamp.
Today, Josh Jacobs appears to have shared his own displeasure with the franchise tag.
He took to Twitter today and shared a post that featured just two words. Those words were “bad business”.
Bad business
— Josh Jacobs (@iAM_JoshJacobs) June 20, 2023
The Las Vegas Raiders could have avoided this situation a year ago when they had the chance to exercise Jacobs’ 5th-year option on his rookie deal.
Instead, they declined the option and Jacobs went off in the last year of his contract.
Jacobs led the NFL in rushing last season with 1653 yards and found the end zone 12 times on the ground while also adding 53 catches for 400 yards.
Unfortunately, numbers like that just don’t seem to make a difference when it comes time for running backs to negotiate contracts.
While the numbers are impressive, it’s difficult for teams to win with too much money invested in running backs. There are just too many other positions that have more of an impact on the game and where there aren’t nearly as many viable starters on teams’ benches.
Josh Jacobs may not like the way things have played out this offseason, but the only real bad business here was the Las Vegas Raiders not taking advantage of that 5th-year option.