The franchise tag deadline day provided a harsh reality for running backs in the NFL — it doesn’t seem like any team is willing to cough up some serious money to that position even if you lead the league in rushing like Raiders RB Josh Jacobs did last season.
But that doesn’t mean the two sides didn’t get close to an extension.
How close did they get to an agreement? According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jacobs and the Raiders were so close to reaching an agreement on extension that Jacobs along with teammate Maxx Crosby stayed in a car together at the team facility, expecting an extension would be finalized before the 4 p.m. deadline on July 17th.
As Pelissero also noted, Jacobs isn’t required to show up at team training camp since he hasn’t officially signed the franchise tag:
Jacobs, along with Saquon Barkley (Giants) and Tony Pollard (Cowboys) all received the franchise tag this offseason and neither of the three star running backs were able to get a long term deal, sparking debate on the pay scale for running backs has diminished.
