Although the action on the field has fallen into its post-season slumber, the headlines off it continue to cause a stir. For the Green Bay Packers, the work to build on last season’s achievements has already started. The news that The Packers have finalized a contract for running back Josh Jacobs caused much excitement amongst the Green Bay fan base.
The clamor around the news regarding Jacobs does come with the caveat of Aaron Jones’ release to the free agent shelf. The Packers legend spent seven seasons in Green Bay after being selected in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. Jones made the most rushing touchdowns in 2019 and is currently third in the all-time list for rushing yards made by a Green Bay Packers player, with 5940 yards. But how does Jones match up to Jacobs in the running back battle? And could Jacobs go on to enjoy even more success in Green Bay than Jones did?
Since joining the Las Vegas Raiders from Alabama as the 24th draft pick in 2019, Jacobs has posted incredibly impressive figures that have established him as one of the best running backs in the NFL. The markets currently have Green Bay Packers in the top ten to win Super Bowl 59, which will be hosted in New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome. However, the presence of Josh Jacobs in Green Bay’s offensive unit will potentially have bookmakers rethinking their projections for next season. The 26-year-old did post his worse statistics in a Raiders jersey last season with only 805 yards rushing, but Jacobs did miss a chunk of the season with a quadriceps injury.
Jacobs will be hoping to put his recent injury issues behind him before he suits up for the Packers for the first time in pre-season. If he can replicate his numbers from the 2022 season, when he posted 1653 rushing yards, Green Bay will stand a much better chance of improving on their 2023 campaign where they reached the divisional play-offs, losing 21-24 to eventual finalists San Francisco 49ers. Prior to that defeat, an Aaron Jones inspired Packers had stunned The Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas. The Cowboys, who had been tipped to potentially lift the Lombardi trophy, had not lost in 16 months at home but Jones’ three touchdowns saw the Packers easily over the line.
Jones’ performance against Dallas was a nice way to sign off despite the well-publicized contract disputes still lingering in the air, even after his departure. For Josh Jacobs, he does have large shoes to fill but he is very capable of doing just that. The latest NFL markets look like he has a chance to help the Packers to a potential upcoming Super Bowl 59 win and it will be interesting to see whether this materializes.
