Josh Jacobs had to go through a lot over the past few seasons in the NFL. A desire to stay with the Las Vegas Raiders, the frustration of not being wanted there, and a new reality with the Green Bay Packers all came quickly. After a full season in Green Bay, things can finally settle down, and the Pro Bowl running back is ready for more.
In an interview to the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, Jacobs said how much he believes the Packers can be serious contenders in 2025 after a wild card loss last season.
"When you got a lot of young guys, we were the youngest team in the NFL last year, it's a lot of hunger, which I love, it's a lot of guys who are still coachable, still willing to put in the work each day. And just to have this type of guys with another year's worth of experience, and then obviously we added some pieces. We added Mecole Hardman, we added Nate Hobbs, the draft coming up, we are going to get some guys," Jacobs said. "I think we are going to be straight, man. I tell people all the time, we played the Eagles better than any other team that I've seen, and that was just me watching football and scouting. I'm like, we gave them the best run for their money than any other team. So I think we're there, we're just a few pieces away and we gotta figure it out."
Despite a tough division, Jacobs thinks that health was a major factor for the disappointing performances down the stretch.
"I feel like for us, a lot of our problems last year was, especially towards the end of the year, half our team was hurt," he added. "If we would have won against the Eagles, that next game we would have gotten blown out, because half of our team wouldn't have played. It was just one of them situations where I was like, we stay healthy, mentally and physically we built that callous, get that stamina, we going to figure it out for sure."
The big reason for confidence
After tough moments with the Raiders, it was important for Jacobs to have some type of stability. And he clearly is fascinated by how head coach Matt LaFleur manages his group and thinks the game of football.
"His mind for the game is up there with the best of them," Jacobs mentioned. "One thing I love about me and his relationship is we talk every day. So when we're in-season, we literally talk every day. He'll pull me to the side or whatever, and we'll have our one-on-ones. He'll be like, 'What do you see, and we'll have conversations. But when I say scheme-wise, the way he breaks down films and explains why we're doing this."
In his first season under LaFleur, Josh Jacobs was extremely successful from the get go. He finished 2024 with 1,671 scrimmage yards and 16 total touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl for the third time in his NFL career. Jacobs is under contract with the Packers through 2027.
-1744040915-q80.webp "'The Epitome Of A Great Teammate': How Kyle Clifford Has Created A Lasting Impact Inside The Maple Leafs' Organization")
