The Green Bay Packers made a difficult decision by letting running back Aaron Jones go . After all, he was a locker room leader and one of the most productive offensive players on the team in the last half decade. But early indications are that they are extremely happy by adding Josh Jacobs.
The former Las Vegas Raider is a leader himself, and during Family Night , general manager Brian Gutekunst mentioned how impactful it is that Jacobs was a captain on his former team.
But more than the leadership profile, Jacobs can do everything on the field. That has excited head coach and offensive playcaller Matt LaFleur.
"He can do anything. He is a hard-nosed runner, I can't wait to see the first exposure from him getting hit, which will probably be week 1," LaFleur told NFL Network. "He's a guy, just watching from afar, you always respect, you hear about what a great character guy he is, what a great locker room guy he is. And to see that first hand, I've been amazed by him."
Jacobs' ability to carry a heavier workload was a big part of the thought process to sign him and release Jones. The new Packers offensive weapon has been in the league for two fewer years than Jones and has already had many more touches. Jacobs has carried the ball 1,305 times, plus 197 receptions (1,502 regular season touches), while Jones had 1,177 carries and 272 receptions (1.449 touches) between 2017 and 2023 for Green Bay.
And the passing game is an area where Jacobs was probably underutilized in Las Vegas — he still hasn't scored a single receiving touchdown in the NFL.
"Certainly lost a pretty good one from that room in Aaron Jones, and so there's a big void there," LaFleur admitted. "But I think collectively that group is going to do a great job. Josh is someone who can give you something in the passing game as well, he's a great pass protector, but he's also a damn good route runner and he's got great hands out of the backfield."
Beyond Josh Jacobs, the Packers are building a deep running back room. The group also has AJ Dillon, who surprisingly re-signed using a cap-friendly tool for the Packers, third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd, and second-year back Emanuel Wilson, who led the NFL in preseason yards a year ago.
Josh Jacobs signed a four-year , $48 million contract with the Packers in free agency. However, it has a team-friendly structure. Jacobs agreed to have only $12.5 million fully guaranteed at signing, which is his signing bonus. The running back has $14.8 million in practical guarantees, because it's his year 1 cash.
Based on the cap structure, it's basically a two-year contract for Jacobs, and he will make $8.2 million next season. After that, the Packers have essentially two team options, $11.5 million in 2026 and $13.5 million in 2027. Josh Jacobs, a 2019 first-round pick, is 26 years old.
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