The underlying metrics weren't as favorable for Jacobs
last year.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/41959769/older-nfl-rbs-thriving-impact-future-contracts-free-agency-deals-money-2025-henry-barkleyBill Barnwell wrote:Josh Jacobs has been below average in Green Bay.
Jacobs' deal with the Packers: Four years, $48 million
Jacobs hasn't been quite as productive as Mixon, let alone Barkley or Henry. Jacobs has topped 100 rushing yards in a game just once, with that coming on a 32-carry, 151-yard effort against Indianapolis in backup quarterback Malik Willis' first start for Green Bay. While his 4.5-yards per carry average is respectable, it pales in comparison to that of the other backs we've discussed. Jacobs also has fumbled twice, while Barkley, Henry and Mixon have combined for just one.
The biggest problem for Jacobs is that he hasn't been able to keep the offense on time. I mentioned how Mixon's first-down success rate is below league average. Jacobs' is even worse; he is keeping the offense ahead of schedule on just 28.2% of his first-down carries and 33.3% of his total carries. Among backs with at least 70 carries, that latter figure ranks 21st out of 24 players. Only Najee Harris, D'Andre Swift and Breece Hall have been less effective at keeping the offense on track for first downs this season.
Jacobs has been better than the other backs in Green Bay's offense, but not by much. He has generated 79 RYOF on 120 carries or 0.7 RYOE per carry. Emanue. Wilson, the team's No. 2 back after the injuries suffered by MarShawn Lloyd and AJ Dillon, has put up 18 RYOE on 47 carries or 0.4 RYOE per carry. Wilson also has averaged 4.7 yards per carry and posted a 44.7% success rate. Lloyd and Chris Brooks have been replacement level on their 13 touches, which helps boost Jacobs a bit, but there's not that chasm between him and the other backs that we saw with Mixon.
It's OK to post below-average success rates if a back is generating big plays, but Jacobs hasn't really thrived there, either. Fifteen of his 120 carries have gone for 10- plus yards, which is a respectable 12.5%, but he has only four carries over 20 yards and hasn't hit anything longer than 34 yards so far. That 3.3% 20-plus-yard carry rate is fine, but it's not moving the needle as compared to Barkley and Henry. And four of those five runs came during the first two weeks of the season. The one exception was last week against the Texans, and it came on a play in which coach Matt LaFleur himself might have been able to take the field and run for a first down.
In the passing game, Jacobs has averaged just over one yard per route run, which is solid but just below league average. What he has been so far is the guy we saw for most of his tenure with the Raiders (with the exception of his excellent 2022 campaign, which was driven by an out-of-character explosive play rate). He has absorbed a heavy workload and delivered -- depending on which metric you're using -- below-average to slightly above-average results in return.
Each of the prior three teams would probably feel pretty good about getting the production they've received for what they paid in free agency. Jacobs might not qualify there. While the headlines suggested the Packers gave him a four-year, $48 million deal, he really landed a one-year, $14.1 million contract with three team options. At this rate, I imagine Green Bay would be better off moving on from him.