In the aftermath of the enhanced one-year deal that puts Raiders running back Josh Jacobs in line to make nearly $26 million under two years of the franchise tag, someone is putting out the word that the Raiders offered that amount, fully-guaranteed, to Jacobs before the July 17 deadline for doing multi-year deals.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s not accurate. “Not even close,” we’re told.
If the Raiders had offered $26 million fully-guaranteed over two years before the middle of July, Jacobs surely would have taken it. As we understand it, the Raiders didn’t even offer to guarantee two years of the tag (i.e., $22.2 million).
As previously explained, the best offer made by the Raiders before July 17 was perfunctory. An offer Jacobs couldn’t not refuse. An offer made so that Jacobs couldn’t say the Raiders didn’t make an offer.
More recently, something happened to get the Raiders to dig deeper than they had, and in turn to give Jacobs at least $11.8 million this year and either $25.96 million over the next two or a shot at the open market in 2024. It was enough to get him to do what he would have done if they’d offered him $26 million over two years before the July 17 deadline — accept it.