After a period of uncertainty, Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs has announced his return to the team.
Jacobs, who had not signed his $10.091 million franchise tag and had been absent from offseason programs and training camp, took to social media on Saturday to declare, “I"m back."
ESPN"s Adam Schefter reports that Jacobs has agreed to a one-year, reworked deal that could be worth up to $12 million, including per-game roster bonuses.
The Raiders confirmed the signing on Saturday, without disclosing the terms of the agreement.
Raiders owner Mark Davis expressed his delight at Jacobs" return, stating, “I love him. I love Josh. He"s phenomenal.
He was the heart of our team, in my mind. He came to play every day. Tough, tough, tough guy. Just really proud of him. He was a Raider. If we had 22 Josh Jacobs on the roster, with that mentality, amazing."
Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and Jacobs" agent met earlier this week to lay the groundwork for the deal. Jacobs is expected to return to the team on Sunday.
Jacobs, a first-round pick by the Raiders in 2019, had a career year last season, running for 1,653 yards and becoming the first Raiders player since Marcus Allen in 1985 to lead the NFL in rushing. He also led the league in touches (393) and yards from scrimmage (2,053), and tied a career high with 12 rushing touchdowns.
In Jacobs" absence, second-year back Zamir White had been handling the starter"s role, rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in two preseason games.
Jacobs has not been subject to fines as a holdout since he had not been under contract, having not signed the franchise tag by the July 17 deadline.
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has said it was Jacobs" right to stay away and that the team would welcome him back.
McDaniels, known for traditionally using a running back-by-committee approach, adapted to Jacobs" productivity last season and did not anticipate a shift in philosophy.
“You go with what"s the best thing to do for the team," McDaniels said. “And certainly, that was [Jacobs] last year. And I wouldn"t expect that to be different this year."
Jacobs" mentor, Hall of Famer Allen, has expressed concern over the monetary market for running backs being devalued.
With Jacobs" return, the Raiders are looking forward to a promising season, bolstered by the return of their star running back.
