Raiders coach Josh McDaniels did his best to put an end to growing speculation that the team is shopping 2020 Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs on Monday.
Speculation regarding a potential trade of Jacobs arose after he played what seemed to be an abnormally-large number of snaps in Las Vegas’s preseason opener.
“We have a lot of confidence in J.J.,” McDaniels said in a press conference Monday. “And, you know, he did well with his opportunities, which we hoped he would and he did.
“But no, we have no desire to [trade him] at all.”
Jacobs, a 2019 first-round pick who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal with Las Vegas, played 11 snaps in the Hall of Fame Game. He took five carries for 30 yards and added two catches for 14 yards in the Raiders 27–11 victory over the Jaguars.
While his workload appeared to be heavier than anticipated for a projected starting running back in the preseason, Jacobs wasn’t the only Vegas offensive starter to see significant playing time. Four of the five Raiders offensive line starters saw the field in addition to four other running backs.
“As I said after the game, I really do believe that the backs don’t really get to simulate what’s going to happen during the course of the regular season,” McDaniels said Monday. “And so, giving them an opportunity to actually get tackled, take care of the football and get acclimated to a new system, quite honestly, I think is the goal. Each man’s different.”
After making his first and only Pro Bowl team in 2020, Jacobs took a slight step back last season. Even still, he managed to rack up 872 yards and nine touchdowns on 217 carries, while adding career-highs in receptions (54) and receiving yards (348).
In his three years with the Raiders, Jacobs has tallied 3,087 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns.
