The Extra Point: Josh Jacobs' Reported 2023 Offseason Trade Request

Josh Jacobs reportedly wanted out of Las Vegas some time before signing with the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs through a drill on Friday, July 26, 2024, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

When former Alabama running back Josh Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, a number of the details were surprising, including that Jacobs was being tasked with replacing veteran Aaron Jones. One of the things that was not so much a surprise as it was a mere formality? Jacobs leaving the Las Vegas Raiders, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2019 and with whom he led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards in 2022.

After that 2022 season, the Raiders used the franchise tag on Jacobs. The two sides eventually reached a deal for one year and up to $12 million. In an injury-plagued campaign, Jacobs rushed for 805 yards. However, reporting Monday from Ryan Wood, Packers beat writer for the USA Today Network, suggests Jacobs asked Raiders owner Mark Davis to trade him last summer.

Davis stood pat, and even turned down overtures from the Miami Dolphins to land the All-Pro. At that time, Jacobs had not signed his franchise tag. The two-time Pro Bowler, as many running backs also do and have also struggled with, sought a longer-term deal and more guaranteed money. Notably, fellow former Alabama running back Derrick Henry also departed his longtime team after this past season, opting for a multiyear pact with the Baltimore Ravens.

The running back market has endured its share of challenges as NFL front offices worry about workload and aging with added premiums placed on the passing game. Jacobs' Packers quarterback, Jordan Love, recently signed a gargantuan four-year, $220 million contract, an eye-popping number that makes him the highest-paid player in the league.