NFL Free Agency: Josh Jacobs expected to sign new contract with Green Bay Packers

One of the top free-agent running backs is officially off the market. Josh Jacobs is expected to sign a new deal to head to the Green Bay Packers, according to Ian Rapoport. He’ll join Aaron Jones in the Packers’ running backs room.

Jacobs, 26, goes to Green Bay after spending five seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. A 2019 first-round pick out of Alabama, Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns on 4.2 yards per carry. He’s added 197 receptions for 1,448 yards through the air.

Jacobs led the league in rushing in 2022, tallying 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He finished fifth in AP Offensive Player of the Year Award voting. Injuries limited him to 13 games this past season. He rushed for a career-low 805 yards and six scores on 3.5 yards per carry.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline follows the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.