Jackpots are rare, but when they hit it triggers a feeling of pure bliss and excitement (try out https://sixs6s.com/app/ to try to catch that feeling) Watching running back Josh Jacobs carry the G in 2024 was confirmation that Green Bay hit the jackpot signing him to a four-year, $48 million contract with $12.5 million guaranteed. 

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst took quite the gamble replacing Jacobs with the longtime locker room leader and fan favorite Aaron Jones. I was hesitant to celebrate the signing with how impactful Jones was in his Packers’ tenure, but witnessing how Jacobs performed straight out of the gate put the mind at ease erasing any sort of doubt. His humbling locker room presence and veteran leadership has also positively contributed to the team’s chemistry and development heading into the 2025 season. 

In his first season with Green Bay, Jacobs finished sixth in the league with 1,329 YDs rushing on 301 attempts. He averaged 4.4 YDs per carry and totaled 15 rushing TDs, which was third among running backs. Not only was he reliable playing in all 17 games, he caught 43 passes for 342 YDs scoring his first career receiving TD in week 7 against the Texans. His average of 9.5 YDs per catch was second among the top 25 running backs in catches.

Here are some franchise milestones Jacobs achieved in his first year:

• Setting a team record with scoring a rushing touchdown in 8 straight games. 
• 301 carries ranked 6th in team history. 
• 1,329 yards ranked 5th in team history. Only three other backs had 1,300-yard rushing seasons: Ahman Green, 2001 and 2003; Jim Taylor in 1961 and 1962; and Dorsey Levens, 1997.
• 16 TDs total, 73 first downs and only four fumbles.
   

  Jacob’s best 3 games of the 2024 season looked like this:

• Week 2 against the Colts where he finished with a season high 151 yards on 32 carries putting the team on his back as QB Jordan Love was out with an injury. Packers won 16-10.
• Week 12 against the 49ers where he finished with a season high 3 TDs rushing for 106 yards on 26 carries proving that Green Bay can indeed score rushing touchdowns against San Francisco. Packers won 38-10. 
• Week 15 against the Seahawks where he finished with 136 YDs total with 4 catches for 42 YDs and 26 carries for 94 YDs with a TD silencing Seattle’s season and home field advantage. Packers won 30-13.

When Jacobs is the best player on the field, the Packers win.

Not a bad first season impression for the workhorse running back who spent his first 5 years in the league in Oakland/Las Vegas. Against Seattle, Green Bay used Jacobs as a Swiss Army knife slicing through the Seahawks’ defense in various creative rushing and passing packages. Not only does he run with determination and grit, defenders taking him down is a mission as he grinds and tramples like buffalo in a stampede.

Jacobs is a weapon in Green Bay’s offensive arsenal and is still finding ways to elevate his skills while being in his prime. He can explode at any point in the game with impactful momentum changing plays. He is arguably the key asset to the team’s success. Of course the quarterback remains the most important position, but looking at how Philly won with consistent quarterback play from Jalen Hurts and a dominant run game with offensive player of the year Saquon Barkley, it is a blueprint that the Packers can emulate. Handing the damn ball to Jacobs is a winning formula.