It’s never a dull day for Las Vegas Raiders fans, and this one was thanks to Josh Jacobs, plus Ameer Abdullah shared praise for his fellow running backs with mandatory minicamp having concluded on June 8th.
The biggest name absent from the Raiders’ offseason activities has been Jacobs. Having not signed his franchise tender, No. 28 is unable to join his teammates. That being said, there’s been no official reports indicating that the 2022 All-Pro won’t be taking the field for the Raiders this season.
Still, Jacobs has been no stranger to social media this offseason. On Saturday, Jacobs posted a rather ambiguous message on Twitter. At the risk of having Jacobs take it down, see the image below.
If you recall, in the offseason, Jacobs was in the headlines due to another Tweet he shared regarding the state of the Raiders. Well, at least we assume that’s what it was, as there’s no official confirmation regarding it. While the meaning of it is open to interpretation, one theory is that Jacob is standing pat. Making a stand, perhaps. He has yet to sign his tender, as general manager Dave Ziegler has refrained from handing Jacobs a long-term deal. With no commitment that extends beyond the 2023–24 season, Jacobs has been preparing for the upcoming year on his own.
Josh Jacobs is a lose-lose situation, which bodes well for the Raiders
With multiple career highs in terms of statistics for Jacobs, he’d surely be commanding serious money on the open market. Unfortunately, once he signs the franchise tag, he’ll be the seventh-highest-paid player at his position, a far cry from what his 2022 campaign indicates he should be making.
At the same time, we’ve all seen the current state of the running back position, and it seems Jacobs will have no choice but to eventually sign and bring this saga to an end.
Raiders fans react to the cryptic Tweet
As has been the case this entire offseason, Raider Nation is divided on the topic of Jacobs. Many believe that No. 28 deserves a long-term commitment from Ziegler and the team’s brain trust. On the other hand, others are emphatic that paying top dollar for a running back is simply bad for business. Regardless, take a look at some of the reactions from Raiders fans.
Y’all gotta stop reading so much into everything and chill out.
Plus the money ain’t going or coming to none of y’all’s bank accounts?. Let him get paid before the league eventually Fs him over like they do everybody eventually. He is RB1, he should get paid like it
— Gerard or Champ (@FollowYourFresh) June 11, 2023
Sign that tag, and get to work!
— BW120144 (@bw350323) June 10, 2023
Man, all the respect for your work. One of my fav players in the league, but signing the tag is the only way to go now, it is good money for a RB and you will still get a good contract after it. If you sit out, its ugly, remember what happened to Bell. No one is paying big money…
— RaiderGeek Brasil ?????? (@RaiderGeek_Br) June 10, 2023
Ameer Abdullah and the rest of the RB group are making the most of their opportunities…
With Jacobs’ training on his own, the show must go on. Among the Raiders’ running backs is veteran Ameer Abdullah. Earlier in the week, Abdullah gave some well-deserved kudos to the running back corps, in particular Zamir White and Brittain Brown.
“The guys just come in ready to work, understand that it’s important to improve every day, and they just bring a great attitude—great teammates.”
Though the Raiders still have their final set of OTAs scheduled for this week, Abdullah shared more insight into the group speaking to the media in Henderson.
“Really funny. Guys keep it light, so I’m always a fan of that, understanding that it’s a great opportunity that we have to come here and play in the NFL and do what we’ve loved since we were kids. So, I think we feed off each other’s energy real well.”
Once Jacobs rejoins this squad, the Raiders could have a running back group with much potential. More importantly, if White and Brown, in particular, can further develop, head coach Josh McDaniels could employ a committee, leading to less wear on Jacobs.
*Top Photo: Daniel Shirey/Getty Images
Zamir White, Brittain Brown Making Most Of Absence By Josh Jacobs, More RB Reinforcements On The Way