The “middle” was a deal that offered Jacobs a chance to make nearly $2 million more than he would have received under the franchise tag, thanks to the addition of incentives in the one-year contract he signed. It mirrored Saquon Barkley’s one-year replacement for his franchise tag tender, but it’s worth more in total.
Now, Jacobs has to get ready for the season, one in which he might have to carry the bulk of the workload like he did when he led the NFL in rushing in 2022. He arrived with just two weeks left before the Raiders start their campaign on the road in Denver on Sept. 10, and after his first practice, Jacobs doesn’t see any reason to worry.
“Physically, I ain’t missed a step, for sure. I can definitely say that,” Jacobs said. “The biggest thing for me really was coming back mentally with the playbook and everything. With the new plays and all of that I didn’t want to be behind. When I came in today, I didn’t have no errors. So, I came in today and I was like, ‘Oh I remember this, I remember this’ so now it’s just about stacking days.
“To me, we came up with a workout plan over the course when I wasn’t here and stuff like that. I came in and I didn’t feel like I missed a step.”