Cardinals Pursued All-Pro Running Back in Free Agency

The Arizona Cardinals were interested in Josh Jacobs - according to the player himself.

Nov 26, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (8) walks off the field after the Chiefs defeated the Raiders 31-17 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals were in on running back Josh Jacobs during free agency this offseason.

That's according to... the player himself.

During an interview with ESPN's Green Bay Packers reporter Rob Demovsky, Jacobs said the Cardinals were among 10-12 teams who pursued him before ultimately landing in Green Bay.

Jacobs said he didn't want to land on a rebuilding team, which very much fit the 4-13 Cardinals from 2023.

"I didn't want to go to a team where I felt like I was going to be in a rebuilding situation," said Jacobs. "I didn't want to go to a team where I didn't feel like I was going to come in and immediately make an impact and be able to be one of the factors to get over the hump."

After the quote from Jacobs, Demovsky added:

"That eliminated several teams that contacted him, including the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants, who he said were among the 10 to 12 teams interested. In fact, he said he took $3 million to $4 million less than what other teams offered him when he signed the four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers."

The Cardinals had plenty of salary cap space approaching free agency with north of $40 million in effective money to spend.

Arizona eventually drafted Florida State running back Trey Benson as the second player at his position taken in 2024. Starter James Conner is potentially approaching his final season in Arizona - his contract is set to exprie at the end of the year.

Jacobs is a two-time Pro Bowl running back that led the NFL in rushing yards during the 2022 season, where he also garnered All-Pro honors.

Jacobs turned 26 earlier this year.