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Las Vegas Raiders News & Rumors

Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo Passes Physical

July 23rd, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Rory Parks

Although a report last month indicated that Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was expected to be medically cleared in time for training camp, there are no sure things when it comes to Garoppolo and his health concerns. Fortunately for Las Vegas and its new signal-caller, Garoppolo has passed his physical and will be on the field when camp opens this week (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

Garoppolo, who was in the midst of a strong 2022 season for the 49ers, suffered a foot fracture in a Week 13 victory over the Dolphins in December. He had attempted non-surgical rehab so that he could be ready in the event that San Francisco made a deep playoff run (which it did), but that attempt was unsuccessful. Ultimately, Garoppolo went under the knife shortly after he signed a three-year, $72.75MM contract with Vegas in March.

In order to protect themselves financially, the Raiders later amended Garoppolo’s deal by converting a roster bonus of $11.25MM, which would have become due on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, into base salary. The other $22.5MM of Garoppolo’s $33.75MM in guarantees came in the form of 2023 salary, and under the amended contract, that money would only be payable if Garoppolo passed a physical. Now that he has, Garoppolo will secure the $22.5MM payout.

Counting the 49ers’ three playoff contests in January, the 31-year-old passer has missed 33 games due to injury since suffering an ACL tear in September 2018. Garoppolo played every game for the Super Bowl LIV-bound Niners a year later but suffered an ankle injury that shortened his 2020 season to six games. San Francisco’s starter battled calf, thumb, and shoulder maladies in 2021, and he ultimately required two surgeries after that season.

When he is healthy, though, Garoppolo is a quality player, and the Raiders clearly believe that he will be an upgrade over longtime starter Derek Carr, who was released in February. Garoppolo will take the reins of an offense that has a fair amount of skill-position talent in wideouts Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Hunter Renfrow, running back Josh Jacobs (assuming he ultimately signs his franchise tender), and tight ends Austin Hooper and Michael Mayer.

The Raiders did finish as a top-12 offense in 2022 in terms of both yards-per-game and points-per-game. However, Carr’s completion percentage and yards-per-attempt rate dropped considerably in his first (and only) year in Josh McDaniels‘ offense, and Garoppolo — who began his career in New England as a McDaniels protege — is viewed as a better fit.

Las Vegas did host the top five QB prospects in this year’s draft and even had trade talks with the Bears regarding the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, the club did not select a collegiate signal-caller until the fourth round (Aidan O’Connell), and the only other quarterbacks on the roster are Brian Hoyer, who is entering his age-38 season, and former UDFA Chase Garbers. As such, if he can stay healthy and productive, Garoppolo stands a good chance of remaining with the Silver-and-Black in 2024, and perhaps beyond.

Garoppolo led the 49ers to a 7-3 record as a starter in 2022, completing 67.2% of his passes for 16 TDs against just four interceptions. That amounted to a quarterback rating of 103.0.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported that Garoppolo was expected to pass his physical (Twitter link).

Raiders Haven’t Shopped WR Hunter Renfrow

July 22nd, 2023 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders added a number of wideouts this offseason who are capable of playing slot receiver, leaving Hunter Renfrow‘s spot on the roster in doubt. However, it sounds like the wide receiver will be staying put, at least temporarily. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders haven’t been shopping Renfrow.

[RELATED: Raiders Have Not Received Calls On WR Hunter Renfrow]

This news helps twist the narrative a bit, as previous reports indicated that the Raiders hadn’t garnered any interest in their veteran wideout. Indeed, Reed notes that’s still the case, as the front office still hasn’t “received any trade offers for him.”

The Raiders’ big move at the position was signing Jakobi Meyers away from the Patriots, but the team also added slot-capable receivers in DeAndre Carter, Phillip Dorsett, and rookie third-round pick Tre Tucker. With Davante Adams also prime to bounce around the offense, Renfrow has seemed like a natural candidate to be the odd man out.

Following a breakout, Pro Bowl season in 2021, Renfrow took a bit of a step back in 2022. Limited to only 10 games thanks in part to a concussion, the receiver finished with 36 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Renfrow inked a two-year, $32MM deal with the Raiders last offseason, and he’s set to earn more than $13MM in 2023. The team could save around $7MM in cap space by trading the wideout before the regular season begins.

As Reed notes, Renfrow is well regarded in the locker room, and at only 27 years old, he still has plenty of good football in front of him. As a result, the Raiders may simply roll into the season with a deep WRs room and bite the bullet from a financial perspective.

Raiders Hosted CB Marcus Peters

July 22nd, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders are giving another look at Marcus Peters. After auditioning the veteran cornerback earlier this offseason, the Raiders hosted Peters on another visit earlier this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Latest On Raiders’ CB Depth]

The 30-year-old visited Vegas back in May, and there was an expectation that the two sides would eventually agree on a contract. Months later, a deal still hasn’t materialized, although we heard recently that the Raiders would circle back to potential cornerback acquisitions before training camp.

Part of the delay could be attributed to Peters’ health, as we previously heard the Raiders were in no particular rush to sign the veteran as they evaluated his readiness for the 2023 campaign. Peters suffered a torn ACL in 2021 that wiped out that entire season, and his comeback in 2022 led some to wonder if the cornerback may still be dealing with some knee issues.

The cornerback got into 13 games for the Ravens this past season, finishing with a career-low one interception to go along with 47 tackles and six passes defended. Peters was also responsible for seven touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendered a passer rating of 113.7. Each of those totals were career-worst marks, and it ultimately led to the Ravens’ decision to look elsewhere on the veteran corner market by signing Rock Ya-Sin.

While Peters’ performance left plenty to be desired in Baltimore, the Raiders would simply be eyeing the veteran for his experience…not his former All-Pro pedigree. As of right now, Duke Shelley, who started five games for the Vikings last season, and Nate Hobbs, who has started 20 games over the past two seasons for the Raiders, are the projected starters on the outside for the Raiders, leaving journeyman Tyler Hall as the favorite for the main slot role. The Raiders are also rostering the likes of Brandon Facyson, who is signed to a two-year contract, and fourth-round rookie Jakorian Bennett, so the team could want to evaluate their depth during the preseason before jumping into an addition at the position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/23

July 21st, 2023 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league as teams prepare their rosters for training camp:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

 

There are some big names in Baltimore that won’t be healthy to open camp. Two offensive youngsters who can’t seem to stay on the field, Dobbins and Bateman, continue to struggle to get healthy. Bateman sat out most of the spring after receiving a cortisone shot in hopes it would help get him back in time for camp. While he didn’t report, general manager Eric DeCosta expects him back soon, according to the team’s editorial director Ryan Mink. Dobbins has started thinking about his second contract this summer, and getting healthy will be key to gaining any leverage in negotiations. Ricard is no surprise, as head coach John Harbaugh predicted this placement a month ago. Bowser, though, experienced an unexpected flare up in his knee this spring after missing eight games last season.

In Cleveland, Goodwin experienced a medical scare recently when discomfort in his legs and shortness of breath turned out to be blood clots in his legs and lungs, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. He will miss the start of training camp as the clots are addressed.

In Denver, a kicking competition appears to be in the cards. The team held a workout for Maher, Elliott Fry, and Parker White back in May and ended up signing Fry. Now, with Maher joining the team, and the exit of Brandon McManus, the position battle between Maher and Fry will continue.

In Wisconsin, Gary and Stokes each ended their season after Week 9 of last year due to long-term injuries. Both will continue slowly working their way back in order to play big roles on defense.

In Vegas, Wilson, this year’s seventh overall pick, will have to be patient in finding his way to the field for his rookie year. He was expected to be cleared for training camp after ending his college career with a Lisfranc injury, but he’ll have to wait just a bit longer. The Raiders are counting on him to relieve some of the defensive responsibilities of Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.

Latest On Raiders-Josh Jacobs Negotiations

July 20th, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Jacobs is one of three running backs set to play on the $10.1MM franchise tag this season. In the aftermath of the news that no long-term deal was agreed to between he and the Raiders, reports emerged indicating the sides made progress on contract talks. A rebuttal to that notion has emerged.

The Raiders are thought to have made up signficant ground while up against the deadline for a new deal on Monday, though it was insufficient to result in a multi-year contract. The 2022 rushing champion may still have a future in Las Vegas if talks were indeed amicable in nature, and if he is able to replicate his career-year enjoyed last season. Plenty would apparently need to change for that to be possible, however.

Vic Tafur of The Athletic offers a much different account of negotiations than the ones presented earlier in the week (subscription required). He reports that indications of progress and positive interactions between team and player in this situation are simply “not true,” adding that contract talks “were dead in the water until last weekend.” Deadlines certainly spurn action and urgency, but a signficant gap appeared to exist with respect to finances between the Raiders and Jacobs.

Tafur adds that the all-important $22MM mark was not reached during talks. That figure represents what Jacobs (along with the Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard) would make in the event they played the 2023 and ’24 seasons on the franchise tag. Guaranteed money above that mark would thus have been required for a Jacobs deal to have come to fruition, and the lack of a willingness on the team’s part to reach that price point is no doubt a large reason why the threat of a holdout lasting through training camp and into the regular season looms.

Barkley and the Giants came close to an agreement on both annual compensation and guaranteed money, but Tafur’s reporting points to a significantly larger gap existing that previously thought regarding Jacobs and the Raiders. How the All-Pro proceeds in the coming weeks will be a key storyline in Las Vegas, as the sides will now be forced to wait until at least January to re-engage in contract talks.

Josh Jacobs, Raiders Made Considerable Progress In Extension Talks

July 17th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Ben Levine

When the Raiders and running back Josh Jacobs failed to agree to an extension by today’s deadline, it was assumed that the two sides couldn’t overcome a significant gap in pay. However, it sounds like the Raiders and the running back were actually close, and that fact should provide some optimism heading into next offseason.

[RELATED: Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard Fail To Reach Extension Agreements]

According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Journal-Review, “the two sides made considerable progress in the closing hours” leading up to the deadline. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Jacobs was literally sitting in the parking lot of the Raiders facility in the minutes leading up to the deadline, ready to sign an extension.

Since Jacobs hasn’t signed his franchise tag, he won’t face any fines for skipping practices. As a result, it sounds like there’s little chance the running back shows up on time to training camp. Jacobs could also threaten to sit out regular season games in an attempt to avoid injury and preserve his market value for next year. However, he’d also be sacrificing a prorated part of his $10.09MM franchise value, and there’s no guarantee that a lucrative offer is waiting for him on the other side.

However, the fact that the two sides were zeroing in on a final number provides a glimmer of hope that Jacobs will stick in Las Vegas long term, according to Bonsignore. The writer notes that there is now “a starting point and framework in place” for when the two sides are allowed to go back to the negotiating table in 2024. Thanks to the progress (albeit fruitless) during today’s negotiations, Bonsignore tweets that “it would be a mistake to presume this is the end of the line” for Jacobs and the Raiders.

So what was Jacobs looking for in his next pact? We’re not sure of the exact numbers, but the running back tweeted that he wasn’t looking to “reset the market” at the position and was simply looking for “security.” We can assume the 25-year-old wasn’t seeking a deal that paid him close to Christian McCaffrey‘s $16MM AAV or Alvin Kamara‘s $15MM AAV, and he may have joined Saquon Barkley in pursuing a contract similar to Derrick Henry ($12.5MM) and Nick Chubb ($12.2MM).

Jacobs is in a trickier situation than Barkley; while the Giants star has earned close to $40MM in his career, the Raiders RB has only pocketed around $11MM via his rookie contract. If Jacobs decided to sit out games, he’d also be giving up $560K per contest. Both running backs can make the argument that they want to save miles while threatening to sit out games, but Jacobs’ career earnings means he’ll probably still make the most of his $10MM guaranteed salary in 2023.

Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard Fail To Reach Extension Agreements

July 17th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the running back market resides as a shell of its form of even a few months ago, the franchise tag deadline has come and gone without any of the three tagged backs reaching extension agreements.

After multiple reports suggested Tony Pollard was not close on a deal with the Cowboys, the Giants and Raiders will not come to terms with Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs on respective extensions, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo report (Twitter links). All three backs will be tied to the $10.1MM franchise tag.

[RELATED: Franchise Tag Recipients Since 2013]

The Giants and Barkley looked to be the closest on terms, and the sides had engaged in extension talks since last November. But guaranteed money loomed as a sticking point for the Giants, who will not be seeing their tagged back for a while. As should be expected, Barkley will not report to training camp on time, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Likewise, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes Jacobs will not be rejoining the Raiders for a while (Twitter link). All extension talks between the backs and their respective teams must be tabled to 2024.

Both Barkley and Jacobs have been connected to potentially skipping regular-season time; Pollard signing his franchise tender in late March will not allow him to miss training camp work without fines coming his way. Barkley and Jacobs have not signed their tenders and cannot be fined for missing camp workouts. While Pollard will be expected to report to the Cowboys on time, it will almost definitely be a while before Barkley and Jacobs — both of whom having voiced frustration during this process — show up.

Considering the damage done to the RB market this offseason, it is unsurprising the tag deadline played out this way. Jacobs and the Raiders were never believed to be close on terms, while the Cowboys and Pollard may not have engaged in substantive talks.

The 2023 backfield market crash involved four of the eight-figure-per-year players at the position either being released (Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook) or forced into pay cuts (Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon). It would be easier at this point to mention the top-market backs whose contracts were not reduced or shed. For what it’s worth, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb did not see any pay reductions this year. Austin Ekeler, however, requested a trade and was given permission to seek a relocation; the Chargers back — he of 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons — did not generate much interest. The Cowboys, Giants and Raiders kept their backs off the market; no back who did hit free agency signed a deal averaging even $6.5MM per year.

The Giants and Barkley attempted to come to terms today, with ESPN’s Dianna Russini noting negotiations ran up until the deadline (Twitter link). No deal commenced. After the Giants were believed to have climbed a bit on guarantees, their final offer was also lower on average annual value. New York had previously offered Barkley a deal averaging in the $13MM-per-year neighborhood — a proposal the team made during the parties’ winter negotiations — and included around $19MM in guarantees. The team came up on guarantees earlier today, with that number rising toward $22MM. None of it ended up mattering, as Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds neither side moved “nearly enough” to finalize an extension (Twitter link).

No terms are known in the Jacobs talks, which provided a fairly clear indication a deal was not especially close. Like the Giants, the Raiders appeared fine carrying their starting running back’s $10.1MM tag number on their cap sheet. Of course, it will be worth wondering when both players show up.

Jacobs has earned barely $11MM — via his rookie contract — during his career, while Barkley has pocketed almost $40MM. The Giants back would be in a better position to exercise the Le’Veon Bell nuclear option — skipping games in protest of the tag. Barkley listed the Bell boycott as a potential option, but that also likely was a leverage ploy. It would be interesting to see if Barkley would be willing to use his money earned to punish the Giants here, but that has never loomed as a realistic scenario. Barkley and Jacobs will cost themselves $560K for each game missed. To be fair, Bell still found a willing buyer — the Jets, who gave him a four-year, $52.5MM deal — in free agency after sitting out a season for preservation purposes. It would not seem such a suitor would exist, given the present state of the position, if Barkley or Jacobs took this route.

The last eight-figure-AAV running back contract to be authorized came in July 2021 — the Browns’ three-year, $36.6MM Chubb extension. While Chubb, Jones, Henry, Cook and, to an extent, Kamara and McCaffrey have played well on their big-ticket extensions — McCaffrey doing so after being traded to the 49ers — teams are shifting in the other direction at this position. Barkley and Colts extension candidate Jonathan Taylor sent out ominous tweets regarding their position’s state Monday afternoon. Taylor’s rookie deal expires after this season. Seeing as the running back tag has gone down from the time Bell was twice tagged — for $12.12MM (2017) and $14.54MM (2018) — a Taylor tag certainly will be a logical next step for the Colts.

As for Pollard, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer indicates the Cowboys did submit a proposal to their tagged back. But it does not sound like the sides went too deep on contract talks (Twitter link). Pollard has been fine playing on the tag, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill (on Twitter). Unlike Barkley and Jacobs, however, Pollard may not be a strong candidate to be retagged in 2024. Trevon Diggs is also set to play on an expiring contract this year.

No Decision Imminent On Roger Goodell Extension, Tom Brady Raiders Ownership Endeavor

July 15th, 2023 at 7:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

July 20 will be a highly important date on the 2023 offseason calendar, with a ratification vote on the sale of the Commanders set to take place. That summit will not include serious discussions of a few other key league matters.

Owners are not expected to arrive at a final resolution on the topics of commissioner Roger Goodell‘s extension or Tom Brady‘s attempt to become a minority owner of the Raiders during the upcoming special league meeting, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Neither of those agenda items have as much urgency as the expected transfer of Commanders ownership to Josh Harris, a process which may have encountered a last-minute roadblock.

News of another new deal for Goodell first came out in March, and it has since been confirmed that it will be finalized at some point this offseason. The deal will keep Goodell under contract through 2027, and bring his tenure past the two-decade mark. The 64-year-old is also expected to begin identifying his successor, one who will no doubt be tasked with continuing Goodell’s efforts in growing the league’s revenues to an unprecedented degree. Maintaining the status quo for the intermediate future represents an obvious priority for the NFL’s owners.

Brady is aiming to join that group by creating a new partnership with Raiders owner Mark Davis. The pair already have a working relationship given their shared stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, which has led to speculation Brady could join the Raiders in a playing capacity. Instead, the seven-time Super Bowl winner is eyeing a hands-off role in the front office, something which will require specific approval from the league’s other owners. As is the case on the Goodell front, though, plenty of time remains for Brady’s Raiders agreement to receive the green light.

The Commanders sale – which the NFL scheduled for late July, rather than early August, demonstrating the optimism surrounding the prospect of a ‘yes’ vote – will of course be a milestone event in the franchise’s history and a major checkpoint on the league’s summer docket. Informal conversations related to the Goodell and Brady situations could certainly take place in Minneapolis, but more serious consideration will come down the road.

Tag Rumors: Barkley, Jacobs, Engram

July 14th, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

With the Monday deadline for franchise tagged players to sign long-term deals approaching fast, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo gave some quick updates on the last remaining franchise tagged players. The Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed to a long-term deal, as did the Commanders and defensive tackle Daron Payne, while Cowboys running back Tony Pollard has decided to play out the 2023 season on the franchise tag. This leaves Giants running back Saquon Barkley, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, and Jaguars tight end Evan Engram as the last remaining cases to be solved.

  • According to Garafolo, there hasn’t been much good traction on a deal between New York and Barkley. He reports that the two sides “are still far apart.” He notes that three days is technically plenty of time to get a deal done, especially for the franchise that signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a new deal minutes before the franchise tag deadline. Garafolo confirms that Barkley has “threatened to potentially holdout into the season,” meaning that he certainly shouldn’t be expected at training camp unless a new deal is reached.
  • Similar news for Jacobs, as we’ve been reporting throughout the day. It’s become clear that he and Las Vegas are not near an agreement as the clock ticks down. Garafolo relays a report from colleague Tom Pelissero that Jacobs is not going to be at training camp without a new deal and is also a candidate to holdout into the regular season.
  • Engram’s situation appears to be a bit less harrowing. Despite the fact that Engram wasn’t present for the team’s spring OTAs and minicamp because of the unsigned tag, he is still expected to be present at training camp, even if the two sides fail to reach an agreement on a long-term deal. According to Garafolo, the likelihood of that deal coming to fruition appears to just under a 50-50 chance.

‘Significant’ Value Gap Between Raiders, Josh Jacobs

July 14th, 2023 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The second-most publicized of the negotiations between running backs and the teams who franchise-tagged them, the Josh Jacobs-Raiders talks do trail the Giants and Saquon Barkley for volume. But more is emerging in these Las Vegas-based discussions.

Although this is likely to come down to the wire, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore notes a significant gap is believed to exist between Jacobs and the Raiders. The sides have not broken off talks, but less than three days remain until the deadline for tagged players to be extended. If the Raiders and Jacobs cannot agree on terms by 3pm CT Monday, he will be tied to the $10.1MM tag number this season.

If Jacobs does not sign by Monday, he is almost certain to miss training camp. Jacobs’ camp has relayed this, Paloma Villicana of FOX 5 News in Las Vegas tweets, with Bonsignore and Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson confirming the fifth-year running back is prepared to skip camp if he remains on the tag after Monday’s deadline. With teams unable to fine players who have not signed their franchise tenders, Jacobs is not subject to the five-figure-per-day fines mandatory for contracted players who miss camp days. Jacobs, Barkley and Jaguars tight end Evan Engram have not signed their tenders; Tony Pollard signed his Cowboys tag in March.

A guarantee gap — one that may not be especially wide — stands between the Giants and Barkley coming to terms, but more hurdles may be present on Jacobs’ path to an extension. Authorizing a big-ticket running back contract is incongruent with the way Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler are planning to build the Raiders’ roster, Robinson adds. This is in step with The Patriot Way, which has seldom rewarded backs.

New England did extend trade acquisition Corey Dillon in 2005, but running back value began to shift in the years following that agreement. The Patriots later passed on re-ups for Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley or Damien Harris. LeGarrette Blount‘s second Pats deal did not eclipse $2MM per year. After extending Dion Lewis on a low-level accord, the Patriots let the Titans pay him in 2018. Seeing as McDaniels and Ziegler are the latest ex-Patriot bastions given the keys to a franchise, how the Pats proceeded is relevant regarding the Raiders-Jacobs talks.

The Raiders traded away their top-market tight end contract, growing concerned about Darren Waller‘s injuries and shipping him to the Giants, but still have three eight-figure-per-year wide receiver deals on the books. The team added ex-McDaniels Patriots charge Jakobi Meyers on a three-year, $33MM accord ($16MM guaranteed) to go with Davante Adams‘ $28MM-per-year pact and Hunter Renfrow‘s two-year, $32MM extension. Rumblings about Renfrow going into his last year with the Raiders have surfaced, but the veteran slot receiver remains tied to an upper-middle-class receiver contract.

The team is carrying Jacobs’ $10.1MM franchise tag number along with these wideout contracts, and while that cap hit would drop with an extension, it does not seem like too much urgency exists on the Raiders’ part. Unlike Barkley’s negotiations, no terms have come out to indicate where the Raiders are with Jacobs. The reigning rushing champion, however, has not sounded particularly pleased with how the talks have unfolded.

A Jacobs trade should not be considered out of the question, Bonsignore adds, but the bleak Austin Ekeler and Dalvin Cook markets make such a move an unlikely scenario. And tag-and-trade scenarios after the July deadline lead to rental agreements, since Jacobs would be unable to sign a long-term deal with anyone until 2024. McDaniels also may face some pressure in Year 2, considering his 6-11 debut. Jacobs staying healthy — after logging a league-high 393 touches — will be key for the second-year Las Vegas HC. But the team does not appear ready to pay up to keep Jacobs around past 2023. The former first-rounder staying in Vegas beyond this season may be contingent on him making a major compromise.

Barkley has collected nearly $40MM during his five-year career; Jacobs has accumulated just more than $11MM in four seasons. Neither player is a realistic candidate to follow in Le’Veon Bell‘s 2018 footsteps, and Jacobs — despite a rumor that suggested Week 1 is up in the air if no deal is reached by Monday — should be considered less likely than Barkley to pass on game checks. But if no deal happens over the next 70 hours, the Raiders should not expect to see their starting running back for a while.

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