Josh Jacobs is hoping for big things with the Packers: “My true aim is to leave a legacy.”
All signs seemed to lead to Josh Jacobs, the Packers’ choice for a running back this offseason.
The free-agent back began to see Green Bay as a likely destination as he weighed his alternatives and observed the NFL landscape.
The four years and forty-eight million dollars that Jacobs has committed to with the Packers have only strengthened his conviction that he made the right choice.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Insiders, Jacobs said to NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero, “I honestly think the sky is the limit in this offense.” “Obviously, with having a special guy in Jordan Love, you know, and having a good offensive line and some good receivers out there makes it a lot easier for me, but just to be able to see the game plan and things that they want me to do this year, the things that they’re allowing me to do, I just think it’s going to be a special year.”
Packers head coach Matt La Fleur has stated that he sees Jacobs more as a high-volume back, despite the fact that Green Bay has historically used a multi-back formation. The last back LaFleur coached to surpass 300 touches was in the 2017 season, when he was the offensive coordinator for the Rams. However, that could be in store for Jacobs this upcoming season.
In what may have been a subtle jab at his role with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jacobs stated that the Packers “have me running real routes” and that LaFleur enjoys designing pass plays for their backs. It appears like he intends to play a significant amount of third-down football in Green Bay.
“Just to be able to come out and actually show that I can catch the ball more,” Jacobs stated. Not only that, but having enough faith in me to enable me to identify safeguards. When you have a player like Jordan Love back there, it’s just so amazing. You can’t really just load the box every play and force the opposition to choose what to stop. That, I believe, will be my main source of assistance this year.”
Love might also be of great assistance to Jacobs, who has occasionally wallowed in some mediocre quarterback play with the Raiders. Love had a sluggish start to the previous season, but he finished strong and helped the Packers pull off an unexpected playoff triumph.
From what little Jacobs has seen of him personally thus far, Love seems to have all the necessary ingredients for sustained success.
“To me, just from what I’ve seen, he has all the traits and all the tools to be a superstar in this league,” Jacobs stated. “I think that as he keeps continuing to play and gets experience and becomes more confident in his abilities and what he can do, he’s going to be the next superstar in this league, for sure.”
Jacobs believes that Green Bay will play a significant role in his future. Despite the fact that his contract is set up such he isn’t committed to stay for the entire four years, Jacobs expressed his hope that it will be a place where he can establish some roots and begin to solidify his NFL legacy.
“I can honestly say that as I’m getting older and I’m playing longer, I have a real goal of legacy,” he stated. The desire to participate in big games, the playoffs, a deep run, and, you know, that game if we make it, I think is a major factor. For me, that’s significant. That, in my opinion, is the most crucial factor.
At the venerable age of 26, Jacobs can’t help but observe that he’s one of the offensive team’s older gentlemen for the Packers. The only anticipated starting offensive player for the Packers older than Jacobs is 28-year-old Elgton Jenkins, after veterans David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones left this offseason. By 2024, almost all of the skill-position players for the Packers will be in their first, second, or third NFL season.
“I’m one of the oldest guys on the team,” he stated. “I take that very seriously. As you walk in, you see these guys, especially these young receivers who are about to become players in this league. As the face of the team and a household name, you have the opportunity to mentor and teach them little things about what I do or see that will help them improve their game. That, I believe, is part of the reason they brought me in.”
Jacobs said that, “obviously not when we play them,” he still supports the Raiders. (A matchup between the Raiders and Packers is not planned for 2024.)
Additionally, he maintains a tight relationship with Davante Adams, a former teammate well-known to Packers supporters.
After signing a contract with the Packers, Jacobs texted Adams with an eyeball emoji, inquiring whether he intended to follow him back to Green Bay. Even though Jacobs claims it was all in good humor with his friend, it may have been a loaded question given the trade rumors that had been circulating about Adams.
“Me and Davante, you got to understand the relationship we have,” Jacobs stated. We frequently crack jokes with one another. We discuss specific topics. In essence, my message to him regarding the eyes was more about how bizarre life can be. I’m heading to the Raiders, and he’s heading out of there. That’s kind of what we were discussing.”
For now, though, Jacobs stated that he’s still getting used to the much slower pace of Green Bay than that of Vegas, adding that it has forced him to concentrate more on football, which he feels works best for his new setting.
It’s very serene and tranquil,” he remarked. “I simply think about football when I think about (Green Bay); I think about focusing in and honing my trade. I’m hoping that all I’ve been working this offseason and this year will pay off.
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