The Los Angeles Chargers have been rumored to be in the market for multiple free-agent running backs. Everyone from Saquon Barkley to Gus Edwards has been linked to the team. But if you ask Vegas who they are betting on it’s Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. Per Bet Online, the Chargers are the odds-on favorite to land Jacobs in free agency, set at +400. That’s an implied probability of 20 percent.
Los Angeles Chargers Need A RB To Run Harbaugh’s Offense
There is a reason there is so much speculation around who will man the helm of the Chargers running game. 1. Their lead back Austin Ekeler is a free agent and had a down season in 2023
2. Jim Harbaugh’s offense revolves around a power running back. Most recently he had Blake Corum at Michigan and Frank Gore while at San Francisco. Greg Roman-led offenses have always ranked in the top 10 in rushing attempts.
Jacobs was one of several running backs who engaged in contract disputes heading into the 2023 season. Early in 2023, the Raiders placed the franchise tag on Jacobs. Then in August Jacobs and the Raiders agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million. That made him the 5th highest paid running back in the league.
Jacobs had an average year, posting career lows in yards, yards per carry, and touchdowns. He missed the last four weeks of the season after sustaining a quadricep bruise against Minnesota.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ chances of landing Jacobs are dependent on Jacobs making himself affordable and the Chargers cutting a massive amount of money off their books. They are $35.5 million over the salary cap at the time of publication.
