Josh Jacobs’ time with the Raiders came to an awkward end after the 2024 season and there have been a few different versions of how negotiations broke down before he eventually signed with the Green Bay Packers.
Jacobs has directed a couple of comments at the Raiders since joining the Packers, but has never gone into detail about how his time in Las Vegas came to an end.
On Thursday, though, Jacobs jumped on the Raiders’ flagship radio station and said he wanted the opportunity to clear the air with Raider fans.
Here’s the transcript of what he told Unnecessary Roughness host Q Myers…
“Let me say this first, man, because I really haven’t spoke on it. So I want to clear the air while I have the chance, especially for Raiders fans. I love the Raider fans. I love the organization. I always wanted to be one of those guys that I played in one organization for my whole career.
The thing I would say to fans is, they always bring up loyalty, but they don’t never hold the organizations to the same type of loyalty that they hold the players to.
At the end of the day, like I tell people, I could have came in, won a rushing title in the league, we could have had conversations then. We didn’t have it, we never had a conversation. They came in and were like, ‘Oh, we’re not picking up your fifth year option.’
I’m like, ‘Okay, well, what we doing? Like, are we gonna franchise tag?’ And I’m like, the things that were said, I really don’t wanna throw the guys that was there at the time under the bus, but they basically told me to shut up and play.
Long story short, they told me to shut up and play. They said, they told me, they said, man, we gonna franchise tag him, he gonna play, and that’s gonna be what it is. And honestly, I was preparing myself not to play at all that year.
I was preparing myself to play four games, the last four games, get credit this season, and then move on and figure it out and let them keep the money. You know, because at the end of the day, I felt like I gave my heart and my soul to the organization. I felt like losing or whatever, like the ups and downs, I was always, you can never say that I went out there in a game and I didn’t try or I didn’t play hard, I didn’t play through injuries, or that I, you know, whatever.
And I always, you know, was a great teammate, so for me, it was just like, ’Man, what more do I have to prove that I love it here and that I’m one of the guys that should be, you know, go down as a great here, you know? And that was one of the things I was just like, for the longest time, my agent, I was like, ‘Man, Josh, like, they are not offering you nothing… you keep trying to give him chances. You got to leave.’ And I’m just like, man, I met with him. I said, ‘Look, I have eight teams right now offering me more than what y’all offer me.’
I said, ‘Can y’all at least meet me in the middle?’
They said, ’No, we can’t do that.’
I said, ’Okay.’
I’m like, ‘All right. I understand. You know, the market at that time is whatever.’
I said, ‘Well, if I take the number that y’all offer me, which was 3 for 10, I mean, 3 for 30, 10 a year, I said, can I at least put incentives in my contract that if I hit them, I get it and if I don’t, I don’t?’
It’d be on me. You’re putting it on me. They looked at me and said, ‘No.’
I said, ‘Well, then what do we have to talk about?’ So it’s funny to me because everybody, they perceive it a different way than what it actually happened.
You know, it’s like I never wanted to leave. I never wanted that to be the reality. I literally tried everything I could to make it work, but after a while, you’re not going to just keep saying F you to me and then expect me to just sit there and be like, okay.
That’s not who I am. So it is what it is. Like I said, at the end of the day, I still love the organization. I still have love for the fans. Hopefully one day, man, you know, when this is over, I can still come back and light the torch. You know, but it just played out how it played out, man.
And it is what it is.”
x: @raidersbeat
Who cares
He doesn’t play here anymore. Who cares
Who cares what you think. Why you even say anything if you don’t care. You just seem to be a guy who likes to hate and say negative things. Try being happy and optimistic sometimes bro.
Running backs aren’t as valued as they use to be. I’m guessing them is Ziegler or Tom. It wasn’t personal but Jacobs. Made it seem so. Good luck to u josh,it was just business.
He couldn’t gain a inch the last couple seasons so to give him a big contract would have been a waste!
Double WTF & Wow, (x2), really ? I have seen every Half Back we have had all the way back to Marv Hubbard of the 1970’s, this was the best Half Back we had since Marcus Allen. This makes Jacobs a once in an every 40 year talent, you will not be seeing a HB like this anytime soon no matter who they hype. This is where “Coupon Tom Telesco” failed with his cheap a$$ ways, both for us and the Chargers. Telesco had a good draft last year netting three starters in the draft, that only happens once a decade if you are lucky. In free agency our Offensive Line got worse, and we lost a once in a generation talent in Jacobs. Jacobs did not get the closure he deserved and will be rembered as one of the last Oakland Raiders. With his time in Oakland he knew the RN was special, but the organization is now decline in the absense of any real leadership, stability or competance under Mark Davis. This team is hyped life few teams every off season with it’s Carnival Barkers and I was among them, but dont drink the cool aid, do Boycott until Davis sells. Mad Maxx will be the next one to bail the failed state of this team and I saw it in a dream. ( I saw the Raiders moving to Chicago and I don’t know if that is Mad Maxx, but I do know “SHYRAQ” is a hell hole. I interpret this as a perputual failed state like the city of Chicago itself.) The failed state of the RN would be totally unacceptable to Al Davis and it is for us too who remember when we were a power house dominant team, champions that were both feared and respected. I hope for better with over 5 decades in the RN, but I don’t think it will happen until Mark Davis passes this team on to who would that be? Tom Brady I hope, because Mark Davis has no heirs that any one knows about. I leave you with these famous lyrics RN: ” blinded by the hype, wraped up like a DEUCE and not a runner in the night.” ( A RUNNER LIKE JOSH JACOBS). GOD speed Josh, once a Raider always a Raider! ( Deuces wild RN, deuces wild!)
I can’t believe y’all bending the knee to the organization that has been bad for twenty plus years. Jacobs was the best thing we had on offense in his time here. Yes, his last season in LV was messed up, but obvious the man was hurt, and getting his mind messed up. I knew Josh in GB was going to rock the house, and it was lights out. The team sells that “Once a Raider, always a Raider”. The team don’t own that, Raider Nation owns that. Taco Bell Adams, ain’t a Raider, he bailed on the Nation. Max Crosby, Josh Jacobs, Kahlil Mack are Raiders, victims of incompetent bad administrations. Hopefully, we can keep Mad Max in the house, but he’s hurting.
This is what happens, we have guys that love this organization. Carr, Adam’s, Jacob’s,Crosby,Gruden, and we do not stay loyal to them as an organization. We have the best stadium and more visiting fans come than home team. I am liking what I am seeing now as a coaching staff. We have a lot of draft capital. We also have a lot of resigning to do. Maxx is mandatory. Koonce,Spillane is as well. Morening,Deablo I want yet needs to be a team to prove it year deal. I believe with a front line AOC can be a Drew Brees type leader. Time for the Raiders to return and dominate. We win the money will come.