Contract Terms
According to multiple reports, the Packers are expected to sign running back Josh Jacobs. NFL Network is reporting it's a four-year deal worth $48 million.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Adding Jacobs was the first of two surprising moves the Packers made today. The second was informing veteran Aaron Jones he was being released.
With Jones and AJ Dillon, an unrestricted free agent who won't be re-signed, out of the way, the path is clear for Jacobs to do what he does best: Handle a featured role.
Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards in his career, second-most in the NFL since 2019, behind Derrick Henry's 7,209 rushing yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Jacobs' 46 career rushing TDs are the second-most in the NFL since 2019, behind Henry's 68 rushing scores. Jacobs' 6,993 scrimmage yards are the fourth-most in the NFL since 2019, trailing Henry (8,295), Christian McCaffrey (7,454), and Tyreek Hill (7,173).
Jacobs led the NFL in rush yards (1,653) and scrimmage yards (2,053) in 2022 and was named a first-team All-Pro.
In 2023, however, he missed four games, generating 805 rushing yards and 1,101 scrimmage yards. Jacobs' 3.5 yards per carry last season marked a career-low.
The Packers are counting on a bounce-back campaign from the former first-round pick. And they might expect more of him as a receiving asset.
While he's best known for his work between the tackles (since he entered the NFL in 2019, Jacobs has led the NFL with 2,791 rush yards between the tackles), NFL.com's Kevin Patra contends the former Alabama star is an underrated pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Jacobs is one of four players with 50-plus rushing yards per game and 20-plus receiving yards per game each of the last three seasons (others: McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Jones). However, even with 197 career receptions, Jacobs has yet to catch a TD pass.
With a clear path to a featured role and the likelihood of being a legitimate contributor in the passing game, Jacobs' current RB22 spot on the initial 2024 Footballguys Draft Rankings will rise. Don't be surprised if he winds up well inside the top 12 in the wake of this move.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
A three-time 1,000-yard rusher, Jones missed time with injuries last season and was due $12 million in 2024. Instead, he hits the market at age 29. Remember: Jones ranks third in Packers history in rushing yards, fourth in rushing touchdowns, eighth in yards from scrimmage, and seventh in total touchdowns. He's one of the best offensive players in team history. Expect plenty of interest now that he's available, but his current RB20 ranking is high until we get some clarity.
The same can be said of Dillon, though his RB63 ranking (and an Average Draft Position in line with that) make him a more appealing gamble for this drafting in early best balls.
Meanwhile, barring a significant free-agent addition (and there are still some big names out there at the moment), nobody will come out further ahead on this one than Zamir White, who currently sits at RB42 on our initial rankings. His RB37 Average Draft Position (ADP) on Underdog will undoubtedly rise, while his RB20 ADP on BestBall 10s might align with where his value settles in until the NFL Draft.
He might not rise that high on our rankings until we get clarity on the rest of the backfield, but with Gardner Minshew now on board in Las Vegas (he signed with the club today), expectations for the entire offense rise.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
Free agent running back Josh Jacobs has reached a deal with the Green Bay Packers, who informed Aaron Jones that he's being released. With AJ Dillon already set to move on as an unrestricted free agent, this is the clear path to workload that will allow Jacobs. Look for his draft stock to rise noticeably on this news; expecting RB1-level production is reasonable, given the circumstances.