GREEN BAY —Josh Jacobs knows he has massive shoes to fill in Green Bay, on the field and off.
Because of his performance both within and outside the white lines, Aaron Jones was one of the most adored Packers of all time. After seven seasons as a surefire future Hall of Famer with the Packers, who ranks third in franchise history in rushing yards and fourth in running touchdowns, Jones was abruptly dismissed by the team. Now that he is a Minnesota Viking, Jacobs, who is over three years younger than Jones and was selected to the first team of the 2022 All Pro Bowl, leads the Packers’ backfield. Since joining the league in 2019, Jacobs has ranked second in the NFL in terms of running yards and carries.
“I already know what kind of guy he is,” Jacobs said of Jones. They spent offseasons training together in Miami.
“Great dude and obviously he’s a legend around here just for what he’s done in his time that he’s been here. I don’t really consider myself coming in and replacing what he’s done. I just try to hold that standard.”
After Jones refused to accept the large pay cut the team had sought, the Packers made the high-profile running back trade. With the addition of a feature back, they think Jones can perform at his peak and beyond the one year he would have likely had left in Green Bay.
Following a season in which he played all 17 games, set a league record with 1,653 rushing yards, added 12 rushing touchdowns, and totaled 400 receiving yards, Jacobs’ output and availability declined in 2023. Only 805 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 37 catches, and 296 receiving yards were Jacobs’ stats during his 13 games of action. Maybe it was his personal injuries and poor play, maybe it was the Raiders’ poor offensive line, maybe it was a change in the atmosphere brought on by Jacobs’ contract problem and Las Vegas’s quarterback instability. Whatever the case, getting Jacobs back to the All-Pro level he was two years ago is crucial for everyone connected with Green Bay.
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“I think he’s a fit in any offense,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “His running style, he runs extremely hard. He’s really tough to take down. He’s got great hands out of the backfield. I think any time, at least the way we evaluate these runners, you almost have to catch the ball out of the backfield now. He’s great in pass protection. He’s a great teammate, great leader. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him, and so I think there’s a lot of great things he brings to our football team.”
Jacobs feels he needs to introduce himself with his new colleagues despite being a proven outstanding running back. Not always in games when they arrive because they have already witnessed what he can accomplish from a distance when the lights are on, but in all that came before them.
As the oldest player in the offense’s skill position, Jones may eventually earn the “C” on his chest in part because of the way he endeared himself to everyone inside 1265 Lombardi Ave. For example, Jacobs has worked hard in practice to memorize the names of his teammates and the playbook, rather than relying just on his words.
“I think that’s very important,” Jacobs said. “It’s big to be able to show and prove myself to the team. I think that’s important no matter what you’ve done in the past. I think it’s important for the guys to see that so they can respect it … because these guys haven’t seen me on the day to day. Sometimes you see the end result, but you don’t see the work it takes to get there.”
The Packers moving wide receiver Davante Adams to the Raiders in 2022, according to Jacobs, was “the best thing for me.” Adams, one of the finest receivers in the NFL the previous five years, provided Jacobs with leadership lessons. Adams wants to do for his younger Packers teammates what he did for Jacobs when he was 24 and 25 years old.
“Getting Josh here, it’s been awesome,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “I’m excited to see him on the field. He’s an awesome player. He’s an awesome teammate so far. It’s been good getting to know him. I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”
Although the Packers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs in four of LaFleur’s five seasons as head coach, postseason football is not the norm in Green Bay. In his five-year career, Jacobs has only participated in one postseason game. Under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia at the time, the Raiders managed to sneak into the postseason in 2021, but they were defeated 26–19 by the Bengals in the wild-card round. That day, Jacobs caught four catches for 44 yards and ran 13 times for 83 yards. He is itching to be on a team that offers him a better chance, but he has not been able to scratch it for the past two seasons.
Naturally, Green Bay’s payment to Jacobs is wonderful. If the risky running back switch proved successful, it will also be largely determined by the stats he puts up during the regular season. However, under LaFleur’s leadership and Jacobs’ personally, the Packers as a team have tasted greatness but have not quite grasped what makes it such. Maybe this is the year for both, with one of the finest rushing backs in the league and a youthful team that could make it to the Super Bowl combining forces.
“When I judge running backs or just players in general, it’s like OK, yeah, you can be good, but are you good when it matters?” Jacobs said. “When it matters the most? In the biggest moments, in the biggest games, that’s where you leave your mark. Being a guy that has a lot of history and especially with the Raiders program, in the top three in almost every category since I’ve been there, it doesn’t really mean nothing because we didn’t win. Being able to leave a legacy is something that I think about now, being older. Playing playoff football and obviously trying to get a ring is the only thing that’s really on my mind.”
(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
