The Las Vegas Raiders made a major chance a quarterback with Jimmy Garoppolo stepping in for Derek Carr but expected the running back position to be stable with Josh Jacobs. Las Vegas hoped to extend that commitment, at least temporarily, by giving Jacobs the franchise tag. Jacobs, however, decided not to sign it after rushing for a league-leading 1,653 yards last season. That’s left the Raiders in limbo.
Raiders starting running back: Josh Jacobs (??)
When Jacobs decides to sign the franchise tender and report to training camp he’ll be the starting running back. Until then the position is up for grabs. Zamir White, the Raiders fourth-round pick in the 2022 Draft, will get elevated to the starting spot for now. White basically took a redshirt in his rookie season, rushing for 70 yards on 17 carries.
Who is Jacobs’ backup on the Raiders RB depth chart?
Assuming Jacobs eventually signs the tender, which would likely happen before the final preseason game, this is an audition for White to get a much larger role for as a backup to Jacobs. If Jacobs and the Raiders remain at an impasse it will be White and Ameer Abdullah next up on the depth chart. More than likely the Raiders would entertain some sort of a trade or sign one of the available free agents like Kareem Hunt or Dalvin Cook.