Josh Jacobs has great ambitions for the Packers: “I have a real goal of leaving a legacy.”
Everything seemed to point to the Packers signing running back Josh Jacobs this offseason.
As the free agency back scanned the NFL scene and evaluated his choices, Green Bay appeared to be a more natural destination for him.
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, 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 with every play and force the opposition to choose what to stop. That, I believe, will be my main source of assistance this year.”
Love could also help Jacobs tremendously after wallowing at times through some middling QB play with the Raiders. Although Love started last season slowly, he finished it on a tear, leading the Packers to an unexpected playoff victory.
Based on Jacobs’ limited first-hand exposure to him so far, Love appears to possess everything it takes to thrive consistently.
“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 said. “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 also sees Green Bay as a big part of his future, too. Although his contract is structured in such a way that he’s not guaranteed to be there for all four years of the deal, Jacobs said he hopes that it’s a place where he can put some roots down and start to cement his NFL legacy.
“I can honestly say that as I’m getting older and I’m playing longer, I have a real goal of leaving a legacy,” he said. “I think that’s a big thing—wanting to play in important games, play in the playoffs, make a deep run, and, you know, play in that game if we get there. That’s big for me. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Jacobs, at a venerable 26 years old, also can’t help but notice that he’s one of the Packers’ elder statesmen on offense. With veterans David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones gone this offseason, 28-year-old Elgton Jenkins is the only projected Packers starter on offense that’s older than Jacobs. Nearly all the Packers’ skill-position players are in their first, second or third NFL seasons entering 2024.
“I’m one of the oldest guys on the team,” he said. “I don’t take that really lightly. Coming in and you’re seeing these guys, especially these young receivers on the cusp of being players in this league, and being the face and being a household staple, and being able to help guide them and teach them little things about what I do or what I see to help them elevate their game to the next level. I think that’s a part of the reason why they brought me in here.”
Jacobs admits he still roots for the Raiders, but “obviously not when we play them,” he said. (The Raiders and Packers are not scheduled to face each other in 2024.)
He’s also very close with one of his former teammates whom Packers fans know well, Davante Adams.
When Jacobs signed with the Packers, he sent Adams an eyeball-emoji text, asking him if he planned to follow Jacobs back to Green Bay. Considering the trade rumors that had floated around Adams, it certainly could have been a loaded question, even if Jacobs insists it was all in good fun with his buddy.
“Me and Davante, you got to understand the relationship we have,” Jacobs said. “We joke around with each other a lot. We talk about certain things. Basically, when I sent him the eyeballs, it was more about how crazy life works out. He leaves there and goes to the Raiders, and I’m going there. That’s kind of just what we was talking about.”
But for now, Jacobs said he’s just learning to adjust to a far different pace in Green Bay than existed in Vegas, noting that it has put more of his focus squarely on football, which he believes is ideal in his new setup.
It’s so quiet; it’s peaceful,” he said. “Every time I think about Green Bay, I just think football; I think about locking in; I think about perfecting my craft. Hopefully, everything I do this year and have been doing this offseason pays off.”
Leave a Reply