Aaron Rodgers just won the Pebble Beach Pro Am in a weekend in which he and former teammate Davante Adams had a good time trolling fans. During the weekend, Rodgers said there were many fans, mostly Los Vegas Raiders fans, who were telling him to come play for their team. A potential trade involving Rodgers to the Raiders has been a rumor for a few weeks now. Even one of Rodgers’ former teammates believes that he will play for the Raiders next season. However, one NFL writer believes that it’s the Raiders’ lack of contract talks with their own Pro Bowl running back that indicates they are making a play for Aaron Rodgers.
Are the Raiders Prioritizing Aaron Rodgers Over Josh Jacobs?
Raiders Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs is headed to free agency despite leading the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards. He was easily one of the best players on a Las Vegas squad that finished the season 6-11. One would assume that, given the talent on offense, the team would want to hold onto one of the best running backs in the NFL. However, the two sides have not even begun contract negotiations.
Clark Dalton of YardBarker suggests that this is because the Raiders are planning on making a move for Aaron Rodgers:
“Surprisingly, the Raiders have not discussed a contract extension with RB Josh Jacobs. The lack of urgency hints Las Vegas could be making more cap room to acquire a franchise QB like Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.”
Dalton explains that the Raiders currently have $19.8 million in cap space, but will need to clear more room if they are to acquire Rodgers. Jacobs is not on the books for next season, but would command $10.1 million if the Raiders were to put the franchise tag on him. Dalton suggests that the Raiders will not do this in order to save money to acquire Rodgers. Even if they did place the tag on Jacobs, the running back would, as he said at the Pro Bowl when asked about it, go “from hero to villain.”
In other words, he will not play under the franchise tag. He has stated that he desires to stay in Las Vegas, but will only do so if the Raiders pay him what he feels he is worth. If Dalton is correct, the Raiders are prioritizing 39 year-old Aaron Rodgers over their 24 year-old running back.
Bold strategy.
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