The Denver Broncos were among several teams interested in and even went so far as to contact former All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs at the height of this offseason's free-agent signing period, ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported Tuesday.
Their longtime Raiders nemesis (obviously) rebuffed Denver's pursuit, choosing to take less money to sign with the Green Bay Packers — and had no issue explaining why.
"I didn't want to go to a team where I felt like I was going to be in a rebuilding situation," Jacobs said, via Demovsky. "I didn't want to go to a team where I didn't feel like I was going to come in and immediately make an impact and be able to be one of the factors to get over the hump."
That the Broncos attempted to court Jacobs checks out given head coach Sean Payton's longstanding affinity for the two-time Pro Bowler. They reportedly tried once already, just after Payton took the job ... and teased a package arrival which never came to pass.
"He was outstanding this year," Payton said of Jacobs in February 2023. "A downhill, physical runner. For a team that wasn't necessarily always having success, he was always consistently playing well. I'm glad he's a free agent. I encourage everyone to look at him, get him out of the [AFC] West. Maybe we look at him."
It also makes sense that Jacobs, entering his age-26 campaign, turned down Denver given its crowded backfield and, more importantly, his apparent desire to join a Super Bowl contender — something the 2024 Broncos aren't.
"For me, it's all on the postseason," Jacobs said. "Playoffs. I'm at the point now in my career where I feel like I've done so much and gotten so many accolades or whatever, it's all about legacy now. Winning games in the postseason is the only thing I'm really thinking about. Playing more than 17 games, playing in those last games at a high level and hopefully playing in that one and being an impact player. That's my biggest thing right now."
And so it goes.
