Josh Jacobs 2023 NFL free agency: Eagles, Bears among top landing spots for league’s reigning rushing champion

So far, Josh Jacobs‘ NFL career has somewhat mimicked the career of former Raider and Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen. Three years after he broke Allen’s franchise rookie rushing record, Jacobs led the NFL in rushing (1,653 rushing yards in 2022), a feat Allen also accomplished during his fourth year in the league. Jacobs, whose rookie contract has expired, may further follow in Allen’s footsteps by prematurely leaving the Raiders. 

Jacobs did not take part in Las Vegas’ offseason program and did not report to minicamp after not yet coming to terms with Las Vegas on a new contract following the team placing him on the franchise tag. Since Jacobs has not signed his franchise tag yet, he cannot be fined for missing the mandatory portions of the offseason because he is technically not under contract. The would pay him $10.1 million fully guaranteed in 2023. 

The reigning NFL rushing champion, who turned 25 in February, will hold out from the Raiders’ training camp, which begins for veterans on July 25, should he not have a new deal by the July 17 4 p.m. E.T. deadline for franchise-tagged players to reach agreements on long-term extensions, according to Fox 5 Las Vegas’ Paloma Villicana.

“I think this is the first year where I went into the offseason just feeling great,” Jacobs told Villicana. “Not because of what I achieved but body-wise. I didn’t have any nicks and bruises at the end of the year, so the whole offseason there wasn’t any rehabs, just training. I just feel good, I feel explosive.”

If he is made available, whether that’s as a free agent by the Raiders rescinding the tag or via trade, Jacobs would be one of the most sought-after players that are still up for grabs at this point in the offseason. Given the current running back economy, Jacobs should be a relatively affordable player. His current projected market value is $51,409,696 over four years for an annual average of $12,852,424, according to Spotrac. 

Based on their need for a running back and salary cap situations, here are the top-five potential landing spots for the league’s reigning rushing champion.

Since Miles Sanders is now a Carolina Panther, Jacobs would be a seamless addition inside an Eagles offense that put up 35 points in the Super Bowl. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles don’t “need” anyone at this stage in the offseason, but coming up just three points short in the Super Bowl could cause general manager Howie Roseman to go all-in. 

While he was a Pro Bowl player last year, Sanders is not a volume runner. He had just two games last year that saw him receive at least 20 carries. He was largely invisible in the Super Bowl as he gained just 16 yards on seven carries. Sanders is good, but it seemed that the Eagles would have benefited by having more of a physical presence in the backfield. New offseason additions D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny have shown to be injury liabilities at higher carry volumes in their careers. Philly would be getting an every-down battering ram in Jacobs, who had at least 20 carries in nine games last year. Jacobs, who caught 53 passes in 2022, could also serve as a viable option for Jalen Hurts in the passing game. 

With an NFL-high $32 million in cap space, the Bears have the dough to bring Jacobs to the Windy City. Chicago also has a need at the position after quarterback Justin Fields ran for 342 yards more than the Bears’ second-leading rusher last season. Speaking of Fields, the Bears want to surround their young quarterback with more talented skill players, so the thought of Jacobs ending up in Chicago makes a lot of sense. 

Along with giving him an elite running back, the addition of Jacobs would take some of the burden off of Fields to make plays with his feet. While his 2022 season was one of the most prolific by a quarterback in NFL history in terms of running, Fields paid for it and missed two games with an injury. The Bears need to cut back on Fields’ running, and Jacobs would allow them to do that. 

Miami would have to clear significant cap space, but Jacobs would fit extremely well in South Beach. While their passing game was lethal (when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy) last season, the Dolphins’ rushing attack was among the league’s least productive. It’s imperative that Miami gives Tagovailoa more support as far as the running game is concerned. 

Miami re-signed its top two rushers from last season — Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson — but has still attempted to upgrade at the position with an offer to free agent Dalvin Cook. The Dolphins could instead turn their attention to the disgruntled Raiders star to add as their bona fide featured back. 

A strong running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Just ask John Elway, who lost three Super Bowls before winning two at the end of his career while sharing a backfield with Hall of Fame runner Terrell Davis. The Broncos would be wise to pair their current quarterback, Russell Wilson, with Jacobs in order to right the ship in Denver. 

The Broncos already have a talented running back in Javonte Williams, but with Williams coming off an injury that limited him to just four games last year, the Broncos would be wise to bring in more outside help than just Samaje Perine on a two-year, $7.5 million deal. Jacobs would surely excel in Sean Payton’s offense, an offense that Alvin Kamara (among others) thrived in when Payton was in New Orleans. 

The Cardinals need a spark after what was a nightmarish 2022. They could provide that spark in the form of signing Jacobs, who would provide quarterback Kyler Murray with more firepower. Arizona has the means to make this happen as it currently has nearly $27 million ($26.7 million) in cap space, the second-most in the entire league trailing only the Bears. 

Jacobs would serve as the perfect complement to James Conner, a two-time Pro Bowler who has battled injuries throughout his career. With Murray under center, Jacobs and Conner in the backfield and Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz on the outside and inside, the Cardinals would, on paper, possess one of the league’s top offenses.