Josh Jacobs says there's 'no hard feelings' after contract holdout with Las Vegas Raiders

Josh Jacobs wants everyone to know that his recently ended, multiple-month holdout was nothing personal. Any animosity? If so, he got rid of it before he stepped foot on the Raiders practice field.

“I mean, s**t, we here,” Jacobs told reporters on Wednesday after his first Vegas practice. “We made it happen, so it ain’t no hard feelings now. It’s a clean slate with me. It was never . . . no hate on each side. I understood it, but at the same time I understood my value, too. So it was just about meeting in the middle.”

Jacobs, last season’s NFL rushing king, established the baseline of his value at roughly $12 million. That makes him the fifth-highest-paid running back in the league. He declined to sign the Raiders franchise tag offer of $10.1 million. And he was serious about not wanting it. Jacobs, the former Alabama running back, cleaned out his locker on Jan. 8. He didn’t return to team headquarters until this past Sunday.

So yes, Josh Jacobs committed to the holdout and held firm, especially when the Raiders started training camp. Sides didn’t reach an agreement until last Saturday. Coincidentally, it happened the same day that the Raiders closed the preseason with a game against the Cowboys.

Now, will he be ready for the Broncos on the road at Mile High Stadium? He wouldn’t say how many carries he was prepared to take. But he added: “Physically, I ain’t missed a step. I didn’t have no errors (in practice). I came in and it didn’t feel like I missed a step.”

The Raiders selected Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s eclipsed 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons. But last year was his best, by far. He rushed for 1,653 yards. And he also caught 40 passes for 400 yards.

No one could question his production. However, the question was how much did the Raiders value it, especially as they transition from quarterback Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo. The Raiders finally upped their offer to $11.8 million, with an extra $200,000 in possible incentives. And, if the the team places the franchise tag on him again next season, the offer automatically goes up by 20 percent. Or, sides can negotiate a multi-year deal.

“I think it went pretty good for both parties, honestly,” Josh Jacobs said on his media teleconference. “One of the hardest things in football to do, man, is watch, you know what I’m saying? At least for a guy like me. And so I was itching to get back. Just to be able to come and make it make sense for both parties, it was definitely huge.”