The Green Bay Packers made one of the most surprising signings of free agency, inking running back Josh Jacobs to a four-year deal back in March.
Jacobs joins a Packers offense that was already dangerous as it was, and it just got that much more talented after adding him.
The 26-year-old is thrilled to join Green Bay, and he explained to Chris Long on the Green Light podcast why the Packers’ offense will be so difficult to deal with in 2024.
“Yeah, and I was telling them that I’m like man, it’s going to be fun because you don’t know what to guard,” Jacobs said. “Defense is going to have problems and if you decide to stop the run, the pass is going to be there. You decide to stop the pass, the run is going to be there. So you’re going to have to pick which one you want. But that’s definitely a first in my career.”
Green Bay finished 11th in the NFL in offense last season, but the team definitely got stronger as the year went on thanks to a significant second-half improvement from quarterback Jordan Love.
After starting 3-6, the Packers went 6-2 down the stretch to finish 9-8 and make the playoffs. They then went on to upset the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round before losing a tough one to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round the following week.
How will Josh Jacobs fit into the Packers’ offense?
Part of the reason why the Jacobs signing was so surprising for the Packers is that they have a pass-heavy offense.
Love was airing it out over the back half of 2023, with Green Bay boasting an impressive stable of young receivers that includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. You can throw tight end Luke Musgrave into the mix, as well.
Jacobs was sort of a bell cow with the Las Vegas Raiders, especially in 2022 when he led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards.
That’s not to say that the Packers don’t run the football, as Aaron Jones was a steady presence for them for seven seasons. However, Jones was certainly not used as much as Jacobs was in Las Vegas, which has some questioning just what Jacobs’ role will be in 2024.
The good news is that Jacobs has shown a penchant for catching passes out of the backfield. While he has never actually scored a receiving touchdown (which is strange given he has been around since 2019), he has posted over 50 receptions twice in his career. He most recently did it two years ago, when he logged 53 catches.
Of course, with a running back as talented as Jacobs, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur will surely find a way to work him into the offense.
It should be noted that Green Bay was forced to cut Jones to make room for Jacobs. The Packers did re-sign AJ Dillon and also drafted MarShawn Lloyd, so they will probably spread the carries out somewhat to keep Jacobs fresh.
We’ll see if Jacobs can truly take the Packers’ offense to the next level come September.
