Josh Jacobs made headlines during NFL free agency by signing with the Green Bay Packers, despite receiving a strong offer from the Kansas City Chiefs. His decision was driven by two key reasons: one logical and the other admirable. However, these reasons seem to directly contradict his past choices.
Jacobs, the standout running back drafted 24th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019, had an impressive start to his NFL career, culminating in leading the league in rushing yards in 2022. Despite his success, the Raiders placed a franchise tag on him last season. Although he agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, his season was cut short after a quad injury limited him to 805 rushing yards over 13 games.
As free agency approached, Jacobs expressed a desire to stay with the Raiders, telling Dan Pompei of The Athletic that he “really didn’t want to up and move.” However, the Raiders were unwilling to meet his financial expectations, leading him to explore other options. Ultimately, Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Green Bay Packers after testing the market.
The Chiefs were among seven teams that pursued Jacobs, with Kansas City making an aggressive push to secure his talents. Yet, Jacobs turned them down for two primary reasons. The first was tied to his loyalty to the AFC West rivalry between the Raiders and the Chiefs.
“They were trying to get me hard. But there was no way I was going there. I feel like once you are rivals with somebody, you have a genuine hate for them. I couldn’t see myself in that color,” Jacobs explained.
The second reason Jacobs gave was related to his competitive spirit. He didn’t want to join a dominant team like the Chiefs but rather wanted to be the one to defeat them.
“And besides, I never wanted to be the guy that joined the dominant team. I wanted to be the guy that beats the dominant team,” Jacobs told The Athletic.
However, this reasoning seems to conflict with Jacobs’ past decisions, particularly his college choice. As a highly sought-after recruit, Jacobs had the option to attend Missouri but ultimately chose to commit to Alabama—a program that was, without a doubt, the dominant force in college football at the time.
“It was a hard decision, I’m not going to lie. I was going back between [Alabama] and Missouri. I loved the Missouri staff—real cool people and everything. But I felt like this would be the best fit for me,” Jacobs said in 2016.
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide had won a national championship the year before Jacobs committed, and Alabama had only lost 10 games from 2009 to 2015. By the time Jacobs made his decision, it was clear that Alabama was the “dominant team” in college football. Despite his current claim that he “never wanted to be the guy that joined the dominant team,” Jacobs chose to do exactly that when he committed to Alabama.
So, while Jacobs’ reasoning for signing with the Packers over the Chiefs aligns with his competitive drive, it does raise questions about his past decision to join the most dominant college football program of the time.
Nonetheless, his move to Green Bay sets the stage for a new chapter in his career, where he aims to make his mark by helping the Packers rise to the top.
