Packers agree to free agent deal with former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers’ first splash in the free agent market wasn’t at safety but at running back.

But it may come at a bigger cost than just the financial terms.

The Packers have reached terms with Las Vegas Raiders free agent Josh Jacobs, but he won’t necessarily be teaming up with veteran running back Aaron Jones. PackersNews confirmed with an NFL source that the Packers would sign Jacobs, but soon afterward a source said negotiations with Jones had broken down.

The Packers released him later in the day. There is a chance Jones could shop the market and return if he doesn’t like what’s available, but chances are he will land somewhere else.

According to Bleacher Report, Jacobs’ deal is for four years, $48 million. The average, $12 million, is the same as what Jones was scheduled to earn this season.

Jacobs, who is one year removed from leading the NFL with 1,653 yards rushing on 340 carries, is coming off a down year in which he missed four games and saw his rushing total drop to 805 yards on 233 carries. His total touchdowns dropped from 12 to six.

The Packers are betting that 2023 was an off year because of poor quarterback play and the turmoil that led to head coach Josh McDaniel’s midseason firing. In addition, Jacobs is just 26 years old and didn’t show signs of losing speed or elusiveness last season.

Jacobs also has been an outstanding receiver during his time with the Raiders, catching 197 passes for 1,448 yards in five seasons. Twice, he has had seasons of 50 or more receptions, which makes him a good fit for coach Matt LaFleur’s offense.

“He’s a downhill runner,” said a personnel executive familiar with Jacobs. “He plays with power and violence. He’s explosive, too. He’s fast and he has quick feet. He has good hands. He’s not going to be a slot receiver, but when he catches the ball out in the open field, no one wants to tackle him.”

The Packers had several directions they could have gone at running back and could have gone after the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley. But Barkley, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, might not have been as good a fit given Jacobs’ excellent hands and fit for their play-action running attack.

PackersNews reported that the Packers had met with Jones’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at the NFL scouting combine to rework his contract. The Packers were obviously asking Jones to take a substantial pay cut since if it were just a case of moving money around, he wouldn’t have turned the offer down.

The Packers’ only other running back on the roster is Emanuel Wilson, who played in seven games and carried 14 times for 85 yards. However, Wilson was starting to come on after replacing Jones in the Los Angeles Chargers game, but he suffered a dislocated shoulder throwing a stiff arm and missed the final 10 regular-season games.

He played in both playoff games and carried 12 times for 36 yards.

The Packers will probably use one or more of their 11 draft picks to address the running back position.

PackersNews reported last week that the Packers were not going to re-sign running back A.J. Dillon, who is an unrestricted free agent. The signing of Jacobs all but guarantees Dillon won’t be back. The 5-foot-10, 223-pound Jacobs is a big back who runs with some of the power the Packers were hoping they would get out of Dillon when they drafted him.

Jacobs, a first-round draft pick of the Raiders in 2019, has played in 73 games and carried 1,305 times for 5,545 yards (4.2 average) with 46 touchdowns.