What does it mean that Josh Jacobs is not at mandatory minicamp?

The question now isn’t why Josh Jacobs isn’t at the Las Vegas Raiders’ mandatory minicamp this week, but it’s whether he will be a holdout during training camp, which begins late next month.

It really doesn’t matter that Jacobs is not at the mandatory minicamp this week in the grand scheme. It would have been a major surprise if Jacobs would have showed up this week. Jacobs, the only healthy player who isn’t at the mandatory minicamp, has also stayed away from the voluntary offseason sessions, which began in April.

What’s next:

He hasn’t signed his franchise tender, so he can’t appear at team activities. He has until July 17 to sign a contract extension. If not, he will play the season on the franchise tag. Then, next year, the process would begin over with another franchise tag (at a higher price), an extension or unrestricted free agency all being on the table.

If he doesn’t sign an extension by the deadline, Jacobs, 25, could choose to stay away from training camp in protest.

In the meantime:

The backups are getting the reps. This is key for 2022 fourth-round pick Zamir White. the Raiders wanted to get him more involved in his second season. Plus, he is in line to be the primary tailback in 2024 should this be Jacobs’ final season in Las Vegas. So, this time is valuable.

The cost:

The 2023 franchise tag for running backs is just over $10 million for the Raiders, who last used the franchise tag 11 years ago, on safety Tyron Branch, The team and Jacobs have expressed a desire to that he stays with the team for the long term. The Raiders drafted him with the No. 24 overall pick in 2019. The decision cost the Raiders some. They declined the fifth-year option on Jacobs for the 2023 season last May. It would have been $8 million to use that fifth-year option. So, it will cost Las Vegas about $2 million.

The bottom line:

There really isn’t anything to be overly concerned about at the moment. Yes, Jacobs is missing a mandatory session and that’s not ideal. But it won’t be an issue until training camp starts and he’s not there if that’s the case. This is simply a process at this point.