The Green Bay Packers made one of the most surprising moves of NFL free agency by signing veteran running back Josh Jacobs. Now, at least one outlet expects them to regret that decision.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named a few moves that NFL teams will regret from this offseason. For the Packers, Knox laid out why replacing fan favorite Aaron Jones with Jacobs might be a mistake.
“The bad news is shortly after adding Jacobs, the Packers decided to part with running back and locker room leader Aaron Jones,” Knox wrote. “If Jacobs stumbles at all this season, Green Bay will regret letting one of its top leaders leave for a division rival.”
It’s a risky move, but one the Packers put a lot of money towards.
Which Version of Josh Jacobs Will the Packers Get?
Jacobs has had some exciting years in college and the NFL. The problem is that he’s had some down years as well.
During his time at Alabama, Jacobs saw a limited workload. He made the most of his opportunities, however, averaging 5.9 yards per carry with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns. The Crimson Tide also won a national championship during his sophomore season.
The Las Vegas Raiders (previously in Oakland) had no problem with Jacobs’ limited college production. They took him with their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he had an almost immediate impact.
Jacobs rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of five seasons with the Raiders. His career-best year came in 2022, when he was named a first-team All-Pro after leading the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards while adding a career-high 400 receiving yards.
However, Jacobs followed up that iconic 2022 run with his worst year as a pro in 2023. He averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season, but some of that could have been because of the team’s offensive struggles.
Regardless, the Packers gave Jacobs a four-year, $48 million deal in free agency. General manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t shell out big money often to free agents. That means that he has enough faith in Jacobs to return to his 2022 form instead of continuing to struggle like he did last season.
Green Bay’s Other Running Back Addition
Jacobs isn’t the only running back that Green Bay brought in to replace Jones.
The Packers also used one of their third-round picks on USC running back MarShawn Lloyd. The rookie running back started his college career at South Carolina before transferring to USC.
Lloyd was a home-run threat for the Trojans. He averaged an absurd 7.1 yards per carry in 2023, rushing for 820 yards and nine touchdowns. He also added another 232 receiving yards on only 13 catches.
The Packers are expecting big things from Lloyd as a rookie. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has already been vocal about getting Lloyd on the field as much as possible in his first NFL season.
That’s a lot of pressure on a third-round rookie. The good news is that the Packers appear to be in great shape with the running back position, adding a one-two punch in Lloyd and Jacobs to fill in for the departing Jones.
