The competitive landscape of the NFL seems to be making the journey of running backs more challenging day by day. Maximum elite RBs in the league are having a snow war with their respective teams due to long-time contract issues. The Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs couldn’t agree to a long-term contract with his franchise before Monday’s deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extension deals.
The NFL running backs have already joined hands together to find a potential solution to their diminishing values in the NFL, keeping the Los Angeles Chargers star Austin Ekeler at the helm. Meanwhile, the Raiders’ Davante Adams appears to be keeping his finger crossed and hoping his team can keep Jacobs in Las Vegas.
Devante Adams explains the importance of Josh Jacobs
The Raiders moved on from Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo following the 6-11 season and finishing third place in the AFC West. While the franchise is seemingly leaving no stone unturned to become a potential Super Bowl contender, Adams said they would need Josh in the run,
“If we really want to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl and having all the elite aspirations that we do, we’re gonna need that guy. So I’m praying that we can still figure something out, but also understanding where Josh is coming from and trying to coach him through it at the same time.”
The 30-year-old veteran landed in Las Vegas after being forced to play under the franchise tag label, hence he knows the struggle and said he is being in constant touch with the Raiders RB to motivate him in this hard time,
“I’ve been talking to him, we’ve been in his ear a little bit just trying to coach him through this process. I’ve been through it a couple times myself and I know what it’s like to go back and forth about whether or not you feel appreciated.”
Davante played eight years in Green Bay and he revealed how emotional attachment to a team contradicts business decisions,
“For me, it’s helping and providing that counsel to anybody, I mean for me whether it’s other guys… Josh at this moment because this isn’t an easy time to go through. You go from dealing with a team that you love and you want to be a part of for your whole career. and then when it’s the business time this is when it always gets kinda awkward.”
What is the major issue surrounding NFL RBs this season?
All other positions in the NFL offer much more monetary value than running backs and many teams prefer signing rookie players at a lower cost than keeping the veterans for a long-term with lucrative deals, making good paydays tougher for upcoming players at the position. The RB landscape in the league got more complex this season following the aftermath of the contract negotiations of both Saquon Barkley and Jacobs.
These 2 athletes were seeking long-time commitments from their respective franchises, albeit they had been franchise tagged instead, leaving only two options for them: either play the 2023 season under the franchise tag or not play at all. Only Jamaal Williams, Miles Sanders, and David Montgomery had been able to ink deals longer than two years.
What’s your take on this running back drama? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments.
