It was an awkward departure for Josh Jacobs from the Raiders after the 2023 season and he hasn’t been shy in recent months about telling his side of the story.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, Jacobs talked to Raider Nation Radio’s Q Myers and shared a lot of details from his perspective on how the breakdown in the relationship came about.
This week, Jacobs was a guest on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast, and he shared some of the same details while taking a clear shot at someone formerly with the Raider organization.
On the surface it sounds like he’s talking about Josh McDaniels or Dave Ziegler, but it’s worth noting that it was Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco calling the shots in March of 2024 when Jacobs left the Raiders for the Green Bay Packers.
Jacobs referred to conversations that go back to the McDaniels and Ziegler era, but some of his frustration definitely carried over into the Pierce and Telesco season.
“Where he was going wrong was he was talking too much,” Jacobs said about someone in the Raiders organization during the period of time he was negotiation with the team.
“I’m not going to say who it was, but it’s a guy that make decisions,” Jacobs continued. “He’s talking too much and thinking it’s not going to get back to me and everything is getting back to me. So I’m knowing what’s being said on the inside. He’s basically like ‘[Josh] needs the money.’ I’m like ‘I don’t need no money. I could quit playing right now. I’m great.’ So I’m like ‘Where are you getting this information from? Why do you think that you got the leverage when I just led the NFL in everything there is for a running back?'”
Jacobs went on to say the Raiders offered him $10 million per year, but did not want to include any incentives in the deal. He added that there were six teams at the time offering more money than what the Raiders were offering.
If the Raiders were really only offering Jacobs $10 million per year, he definitely took a better deal with the Packers.
From ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, here’s a breakdown of the deal Jacobs signed with the Packers a little more than a year ago.
“Per a source with knowledge of the deal, the contract has a $12.5 million signing bonus, and no other guaranteed payments. His 2024 base salary of $1.2 million is guaranteed as a practical matter, pushing the first-year haul to $13.7 million. He also has a $600,000 offseason workout bonus, and up to $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses,” Florio reported in March of last year.
“That’s up to $14.8 million for one year. After that, it’s up to the Packers. Jacobs has a $5.93 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2025 league year, and a $1.7 million base salary. The $600,000 workout bonus and $500,000 per-game active roster bonuses are also in the deal for 2025,” Florio continued.
“For 2026, the deal has a base salary of $10.2 million, a $600,000 workout bonus, and up to $700,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. In 2027, the salary moves to $12.2 million, with the workout bonus of $600,000 and up to $700,000 in per-game active roster bonuses.”
Based on those numbers, Jacobs’ deal in Green Bay is significantly better than what the Raiders were offering considering the $500k per game bonus that he will receive each game in 2025 that he’s on the active roster.
If Jacobs can’t stay healthy in 2025, he’ll lose a lot of money, but the potential is there for him to make $8.5 million in roster bonuses alone.
x: @raidersbeat
Nothing against Josh and I don’t blame him for getting his money but he was injured every year for a number of games for the five years he played for the Raiders. His last year with Green Bay was the first time in a while he played an entire season without missing any games. As a result I don’t blame the Raiders for being cautious either. Too bad it couldn’t get worked out but at the end of the day, It’s just business.
WHO CARES. HE IS GONE!!!! Do I need to unsubscribe. TWICE THIS WEEK
Hey Josh, you got your money and a new team. Let it go man why all the hate? You are really going to be pissed when #2 gets OROY award. He will get 2000 yards and maybe you will get 1000. Hush it up man.
Can’t wait until stafford goes down and they put in [clark Kent aka jimmy im useless garrapollo] to throw to Devante diva Adams. He’s going to melt!!!!
We should care why?
That dude still crying. 🤦♂️ Go away Josh you suck.
Sounds to me like he is saying the back chatter from what had been a highly dysfunctional organization for a long time was key to him being open to other offers. Too bad. He’s unfortunately in a rather large group of former Raiders having success elsewhere that Raiders organization could neither draw out or foster.
Who cares. He is no longer a Raider. When he gets a ring or GOLD jacket, then I will say ****!!!