With the passing of Monday's deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign a multi-year deal, the availability of the Raiders' star running back, Josh Jacobs, is now in question for the 2023 season. Last season's leading rusher has yet to sign his tag and therefore could choose to hold out of camp or even the start of the season with his contract situation unresolved.
Speaking Friday on NFL Total Access, Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams said he related to the difficult position his teammate is in, and expressed his hope that things would be worked out sooner rather than later, especially with the obvious impact Jacobs has on the success of the Las Vegas offense.
"If we really want to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl and having all the elite aspirations that we do, we're gonna need that guy," he said. "So I'm praying that we can still figure something out, but also understanding where Josh is coming from and trying to coach him through it at the same time."
Having personal experience with the difficulties of navigating a major contract dispute such as Jacobs', Adams said that he's been offering counsel to his teammate throughout the complicated process.
"I've been talking to him, we've been in his ear a little bit just trying to coach him through this process," Adams said. "I've been through it a couple times myself and I know what it's like to go back and forth about whether or not you feel appreciated."
Adams is more qualified than most to understand the conflicting feelings that come about when a player and their team have to deal with the business of money. After eight years with the Packers, Green Bay placed the franchise tag on Adams last offseason, to which Adams responded by saying that he wouldn't play on the tag.
The inability of the two sides to come to an agreement on a new contract eventually resulted in Adams' trade to Las Vegas, where he got his long-term deal.
"For me it's helping and providing that counsel to anybody, I mean for me whether it's other guys in the league, my teammates, obviously Josh at this moment because this isn't an easy time to go through," Adams said. "You go from dealing with a team that you love and you want to be a part of for your whole career, and then when it's the business time this is when it always gets kinda awkward.
"It's something that you never even want to get to, but once you get through it you can kinda just put it to bed and everyone can carry on with their business. So I'm hoping that's what happens so we can just kind of put everything behind us and just start focusing on what's to come."
It's clear that the possibility of playing without Jacobs for any part of the season is weighing heavily on the minds of Raiders players. But with no end to the stalemate currently in sight, they'll have to hope that something gets worked out before taking the field in Week 1 versus the Broncos, because Adams is right that the Raiders will have a much harder road to success without their star back on the field.
