Josh Jacobs has certainly made waves this offseason following his exit from the Las Vegas Raiders. Now playing in Green Bay, he just can’t seem to help himself and continues taking shots at his old squad.
No one will ever doubt the effort that Jacobs put forth. As the only prized first-round pick in a trio of 2019 selections that lived up to expectations, it’s a shame he won’t be finishing his career with the Silver and Black. His 2022 campaign will go down in the Raiders’ history books. In case you’ve forgotten, he was an All-Pro along with a Pro Bowl nod, thanks to 1,653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Fast forward to the summer of 2024, and we couldn’t be farther from then.
Josh Jacobs speaks on the Raiders’ culture of losing…
During a recent appearance on the “Green Light with Chris Long,” shed more light into his side of the story.
“Coming from Alabama, I went to a championship every year I was there. I remember coming to the league and losing my first game, and I was mad and not talking to nobody. A vet came up to me and was like, ‘This is the NFL. You’re going to lose.’ I’m like, ‘So ya’ll cool with losing?’ It was so different.”
There are a few key takeaways from Jacobs’ remarks. Firstly, there’s no disputing the Raiders’ losing culture. Prior to Antonio Pierce taking the reins, Josh McDaniels was unable to turn things around; you could argue the team regressed under his guise. Prior to McDaniels, Jon Gruden was on a trajectory to bring back the winning ways, but we know how that ended.
Here’s the thing: college and the NFL are two different things. In the professional ranks, losses are an inevitable part of the game. It’s interesting that Jacobs would share that now, after all these years. Second, as one of the locker room leaders for the Raiders, it’s anticlimatic to see Jacobs leave just as Pierce’s way of doing things is poised to create a new culture. Let’s not mince words here; this breakup was over money. The Raiders weren’t going to pay a dollar for a running back, and Jacobs felt undervalued, simple as that.
*Top Photo: Getty Images