Following last week’s preseason opener between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, you suddenly had hearsay regarding running back Josh Jacobs. Well, NFL insider Ian Rapoport put all of that to rest, for now.
To the surprise of many, Jacobs saw action in the Hall of Fame game and made the most of it. He thoroughly impressed everyone, hitting the holes with a nice burst of energy and noticeable tenacity. By the time his snaps were up, Jacobs had averaged more than six yards per carry. He clearly looked healthy and ready for the season. However, many questioned the motives surrounding him playing a meaningless game. In fact, most of the key offensive starters didn’t play, such as Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow. In fact, not even left tackle Kolton Miller saw the field. Why would you risk your best running back?
What did Raiders HC Josh McDaniels have to say about Josh Jacobs playing?
As far as head coach Josh McDaniels is concerned, he gave his side of the story after the renown.
“I always think it’s good for backs to carry the ball in the preseason. There are a lot of things that happen when you’re getting tackled and hit that you can’t simulate in practice. I think all our guys had the ball tonight. I think all our guys either caught it or were handed the ball and had to get tackled. We can’t really simulate that or rep that in practice.”
McDaniels’ story makes sense when you consider his approach to the running back position. It’s entirely possible that all of the rumors we’ve been hearing online have been perpetuated by folks reading too much into things. You even had fans getting duped on social media by a phony Jacobs account, claiming he was saying goodbye to Raider Nation.
From Inside Training Camp: Would the #Raiders trade their best RB? Nah. pic.twitter.com/yIa4z7Y0uP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 7, 2022
Nevertheless, as Rapoport alluded to on NFL Network, it doesn’t make sense to move on from Jacobs right now. He’s playing on his rookie contract, and compared to other NFL running backs, he comes cheap. Also, let’s not mince words here; Jacobs is still the most talented running back on this roster. Why on Earth would Dave Ziegler ship him out this year? 2023 will be a different matter, but for now, it does appear Jacobs is staying put.
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*Top Photo: CBS WDJT/Milwaukee