Before signing with the Green Bay Packers, running back Josh Jacobs said his former rival tried to sign him in free agency.
Jacobs, who spent the first five years of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, said the Kansas City Chiefs made a pitch for him to sign, but in his eyes, once you’re a rival, you’re always a rival.
“They were trying to get me hard,” Jacobs said, per The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (h/t Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper). “But there was no way I was going there. I feel like once you are rivals with somebody, you have a genuine hate for them. I couldn’t see myself in that color. And besides, I never wanted to be the guy that joined the dominant team. I want to be the guy that beats the dominant team.”
Jacobs said he heard from seven teams other than the Packers when he was a free agent, and the Chiefs had one of the biggest pushes to bring him to Kansas City. That effort from the Chiefs wasn’t enough for Jacobs to overlook the rivalry aspect.
In March, Jacobs agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal with Green Bay that includes $12.5 million guaranteed. Jacobs picking the Packers over Kansas City left the Chiefs with little to show for this offseason in terms of their backfield, but they’ll still bring back Isiah Pacheco, their leading rusher from a season ago.
Now suiting up for a new team, Jacobs is looking to bounce back from the worst statistical season of his career in 2023. He rushed for 805 yards and six touchdowns, playing just 13 games after being sidelined for the final four games of the year with a quad injury.
Just two seasons ago, Jacobs led the league in rushing yards with 1,653 while also picking up 12 touchdowns on his way to a second Pro Bowl appearance.
While he could have played for the two-time defending champions in 2024, he’ll join a Packers team that’s on the rise after reaching the divisional round and falling just short of an NFC Championship game appearance a year ago.