Raiders 'Have No Desire' to Trade Josh Jacobs Despite Buzz, per HC Josh McDaniels

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't planning on trading running back Josh Jacobs this offseason.

"JJ's a guy we know what he's done. We have a lot of confidence in JJ," head coach Josh McDaniels told reporters Monday. "He did well with his opportunities. We have no desire to do that (trade) at all."

The trade buzz began Thursday when Jacobs surprisingly received seven touches in the team's preseason opener at the Hall of Fame Game and played in multiple series. It was unusual usage for a veteran, as top running backs generally see minimal usage in the preseason to avoid added wear and tear.

His fellow backfield mates—veterans Kenyan Drake and Ameer Abdullah and rookie Zamir White—also played in the contest.

"I always think it's good for backs to carry the ball in the preseason," McDaniels told reporters after the game. "There's a lot of things that happen when you're getting tackled and hit that you can't simulate in practice. I think all our guys had the ball tonight. I think all our guys either caught it or were handed the ball and had to get tackled. We can't really simulate that or rep that in practice."

But the Raiders have made other decisions this offseason that raised some eyebrows. They didn't pick up the fifth-year extension on Jacobs' rookie contract. They also drafted two running backs, White and Brittain Brown, and signed Abdullah and Brandon Bolden in free agency.

McDaniels comes from Bill Belichick's New England Patriots, where running back platoons were common and coaches liked to see players at the position get preseason snaps, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network noted on Sunday:

Still, it feels like a prove-it year for Jacobs under McDaniels, despite the fourth-year running back rushing for 3,087 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He may not be on the trade block, but his future in Las Vegas seems dependent on a strong 2022 season.