'You know what being a Packer is': Josh Jacobs found stability in move from Las Vegas to Green Bay (2024)

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Josh Jacobs noticed something different about the Green Bay Packers during his whirlwind courtship in the early days of free agency.

Actually, the veteran running back noticed several things that differed from where he spent the first five seasons of his NFL career.

But the list began with something he craved: stability.

Jacobs played for four head coaches and three general managers with the Las Vegas Raiders after they made him the 24th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Last season alone, he played with three different starting quarterbacks.

"I feel like the Raiders are still a cornerstone franchise," Jacobs said. "But when you come in and you have different coaches and different GMs with their own vision, you've kinda got to adapt to their vision. We really didn't have that culture set in stone."

Green Bay, in Jacobs' mind, was the antithesis of the Raiders' instability.

"That's what I would say the biggest difference is: You know what being a Packer is," he said. "You feel that throughout the building. You see it on a day-to-day basis."

What Jacobs, 26, saw was a coach/GM combination that had been together since 2019 and a rising star at quarterback surrounded by a roster of young talent ready to contend for a Super Bowl. He also saw how coach Matt LaFleur had involved running back Aaron Jones -- whose departure opened the door for Jacobs to sign with the Packers in March -- in so many aspects of the offense.

So far, a little more than a week into training camp, it's been everything Jacobs imagined. That was reflected in how often Jacobs' eyes lit up and a smile broke out across his face during a 20-minute question-and-answer session at his locker following a recent training camp practice.

"I didn't want to go to a team where I felt like I was going to be in a rebuilding situation," Jacobs said. "I didn't want to go to a team where I didn't feel like I was going to come in and immediately make an impact and be able to be one of the factors to get over the hump."

That eliminated several teams that contacted him, including the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants, who he said were among the 10 to 12 teams interested. In fact, he said he took $3 million to $4 million less than what other teams offered him when he signed the four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers.

He said he knew during the 2023 season that he wouldn't be back in Las Vegas for this season. When the Raiders used the franchise tag on him last year before finally agreeing to add $2 million to the $10.1 million tag number -- after he skipped most of training camp -- told him everything he needed to know.

In fact, he said he asked out of Las Vegas last summer before he signed his 2023 deal.

"I'm like, 'Trade me because y'all not really showing me that you really want me here by tagging me,'" Jacobs said. "They didn't pick up the fifth-year option, that's when they were like 'If we give you extra [money] would that be a commitment?' I'm like, 'It's a commitment, but it's not really a commitment.' That's just kinda how it played out. The writing was on the wall."

This is a reboot for Jacobs, who is coming off the least productive season of his career with 805 yards rushing in 13 games. The previous season, he more than doubled that with a career-high 1,653 yards that led to a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. It was his third 1,000-yard rushing campaign in his first four NFL seasons. He also had back-to-back seasons with 50-plus catches in 2021 (54) and 2022 (53).

"You can tell he's hungry," Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. "He likes it here, he's hungry, and he wants to win."

In addition to everything that seemed right about the Packers from an organizational perspective to the chance to win, Jacobs was intrigued by the role of the running back in LaFleur's passing game. He recalled that Aaron Rodgers once said Jones and AJ Dillon could combine for 100 catches in a season.

A former receiver in high school, Jacobs said he was mostly used on checkdowns and dump-off passes in the Raiders' offense. Here, he has seen how LaFleur would line up Jones in the slot or even split out wide.

"It makes it very easy for us, because we get a lot of matchups against linebackers," Jacobs said. "And if you're a running back and you can't beat a linebacker in the passing game, I really don't know what to tell you."

As one of those linebackers who has tried to cover him early in training camp, Packers veteran Eric Wilson concurred.

"Having to guard a guy who's not only dangerous out of the backfield, but [also] when it comes to running routes, he's a helluva route runner, it definitely makes it tougher on defenses when you've got a guy who can do both of those two things," Wilson said. "He's a helluva combo."

Said quarterback Jordan Love: "You definitely see that he wants to be involved in the pass game. I heard some stuff that he hasn't got his receiving touchdown yet, so that's something we'll be working on this year."

It's true. Despite having 197 career catches in 73 NFL games, Jacobs has yet to score a receiving touchdown.

He also doesn't have a playoff win.

"For me, it's all on the postseason," Jacobs said. "Playoffs. I'm at the point now in my career where I feel like I've done so much and gotten so many accolades or whatever, it's all about legacy now. Winning games in the postseason is the only thing I'm really thinking about. Playing more than 17 games, playing in those last games at a high level and hopefully playing in that one and being an impact player. That's my biggest thing right now."