Crimson Tide Product Josh Jacobs Shares Goal for First Season with Packers

Former Alabama standout running back Josh Jacobs signed with the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.

Jun 11, 2024; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) carries during minicamp. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL's annual "Free Agency Frenzy" almost always lives up to the name and former Alabama standout Josh Jacobs contributed to it on March 11 when he signed a 4-year, $48 million contract with the Green Bay Packers after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.

The 2022 NFL rushing leader's move made a lot of noise the moment it was announced, mainly due to fans speculating he'd share the backfield with former Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones to create a top 1-2 punch in the league. However, Green Bay released Jones one hour later, as he had one year left on his contract, and he eventually signed with the Minnesota Vikings, an NFC North division rival.

Now that Jacobs is officially the true RB1 in Green Bay and won't have to split as many snaps, he recently spoke with Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo on The Insiders about his new team. When asked about goals for his first season in Green Bay, Jacobs first responded by saying he doesn't typically set them this early as he works to get better on a "day-to-day basis," but he did reveal one.

"I can honestly say that as I'm getting older and I'm playing longer, I have a real goal of legacy," Jacobs said. "I think that's a big thing – wanting to play in important games, play in the playoffs, make a deep run and, you know, play in that game if we get there. That's big for me. I think that's the most important thing."

The 26-year-old will be playing on the youngest team in the league this upcoming season. Green Bay made it to the Divisional round of this past season and has an extremely promising future ahead. Jacobs went further on this by stating that "the sky is the limit" for Green Bay. Nevertheless, the two-time Pro Bowler believes his skills on the field aren't the only reason why the Packers signed him.

"I'm one of the oldest guys on the team," Jacobs said. "I don't take that really lightly. Coming in and you're seeing these guys, especially these young receivers on the cusp of being players in this league, and being the face and being in a household staple, and being able to help guide them and teach them little things about what I do or what I see to help them elevate their game to the next level. I think that's a part of the reason why they brought me in here."

Jacobs, who often split carries at Alabama but broke out during the 2018 SEC Championship and CFP semifinal game vs. Oklahoma, earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2022. However, in 13 games this past season, he logged a career-low 3.5 yards per attempt.

A fresh start on a promising team like the Packers could get him back to where he was a couple of seasons ago, which would be a massive step in the right direction toward creating a legacy in Green Bay.