Packers agree to deal with RB Josh Jacobs, then release Aaron Jones
Over Josh Jacobs’ career, he has been good. For one of his seasons, he was great.
Jacobs wasn’t able to immediately cash in big on that All-Pro season from 2022. He was given the franchise tag last offseason and after he and the Las Vegas Raiders couldn’t reach a long-term deal, he played on the one-year tag.
Jacobs got to hit free agency this offseason, not quite as hot of a commodity as he was a year ago, but hot enough for the Green Bay Packers, who will sign Jacobs, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The deal is for four years and $48 million, per the report.
That wasn't it for the Packers. After Jacobs agreed to a deal, the Packers informed Aaron Jones he'll be released.
Now Jacobs can try to get back to that All-Pro level. He'll do so on a Packers team that is set up to be very good offensively.
Josh Jacobs’ 2022 season was fantastic
Jacobs was a first-round draft pick in 2019 and for the most part he played up to that pick on a bad Raiders team. In two of Jacobs’ first three seasons he rushed for 1,000 yards. His first season he was runner-up for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He had 28 rushing touchdowns his first 43 games.
His 2022 season came out of nowhere. Jacobs went from a good back to arguably the best in the NFL for one season. He led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards. He added 400 receiving yards. He was a first-team All-Pro. And it happened right before he was about to be a free agent, after the Raiders had declined his fifth-year option.
There was a standoff over the franchise tag, and Jacobs eventually signed it. Jacobs’ numbers were down last season, rushing for 805 yards with a per-carry average of 3.5 yards, well off his average of 4.9 the season before.
Jacobs played better after head coach Josh McDaniels was fired during the season, but an injury cost him the final four games. That pushed down his value as he entered free agency this offseason.
But that 2022 season, and the strong production around that breakout season, still kept him pretty high on the radar of many teams. The Packers were obviously keeping an eye on him.
Packers add to young offense
The Packers ended last season as one of the hotter teams in the NFL. Jordan Love had a strong finish to the season, Green Bay has a deep group of talented young pass receivers and the Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys and almost beat the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs.
Part of their success on offense was due to Jones getting healthy and hot late in the season. Green Bay clearly wanted to keep that momentum going in the run game by investing in Jacobs. Jones will turn 30 years old during next season and the Packers clearly thought Jacobs would be an upgrade at the position. Jones will be a free agent and given his strong finish to last season, he should be able to find a new home.
The Packers weren't expected to be a big factor in the running back market, but they got a good one. Green Bay's offense could be scary to defend this season.