NFLN: Raiders' Josh Jacobs Could Hold Out Into Start of Season Without New Contract

Josh Jacobs' frustration with his ongoing contract situation appears to be boiling over.

The Las Vegas Raiders placed the $10.1 million franchise tag on Jacobs in March, but the two sides have yet to agree on a long-term deal.

"The one that nobody's talking about is Josh Jacobs, the reigning NFL rushing champion. At this point if there's not a long-term deal, I don't anticipate Josh Jacobs being there at the start of training camp and I don't know that he shows up Week 1," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (4:40 mark).

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday on SportsCenter that the Raiders are "pretty hopeful" that Jacobs will report to training camp this summer even if he doesn't land a long-term agreement:

"I have not sensed a lot of momentum for a deal coming down the pipe right now. Jacobs recently tweeted 'bad business,' which is not a good sign that things are going all that well. Certainly a $10.1 million tag would be available to him. I'm told the Raiders are pretty hopeful that he would show up to camp even if they don't get a long-term deal done but they have to negotiate in earnest leading up to that deadline."

The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign a long-term extension is July 17, so the Raiders and Jacobs still have a decent amount of time to hammer out a deal.

However, Jacobs seemingly hinted that negotiations weren't going well when he tweeted "bad business" on June 20 and also retweeted an article by The Athletic's Jim Trotter that discussed running backs being underpaid despite being some of the most productive players in the league.

The Raiders selected Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 draft out of Alabama, and he has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in three of his four NFL seasons.

The 25-year-old put together the best season of his career in 2022, rushing for 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns in 17 games, in addition to catching 53 passes fro 400 yards. He finished fifth in Offensive Player of the Year voting, was named a First-Team All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl selection.

Jacobs is more than deserving of a large long-term extension, but if he can't agree to terms with the Raiders, then Las Vegas will risk losing him for the entire 2023 season, and it doesn't have the depth to replace him.

Behind Jacobs, the Raiders have Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, Zamir White, Brittain Brown, Austin Walter and Sincere McCormick at running back, though some of those players will likely be cut before Week 1.

At this point in the offseason, retaining Jacobs should be a priority for the Las Vegas front office.