Josh Jacobs no-show for 1st day of Raiders’ offseason program

The Raiders began their offseason program Monday at their Henderson practice facility without the NFL’s leading rusher.

Josh Jacobs, who hasn’t signed his franchise tag tender, missed the first day of workouts as the Raiders began their second offseason program under coach Josh McDaniels. Jacobs’ absence was expected.

Among those who did show was quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, signed last month as the replacement for longtime starter Derek Carr.

Garoppolo was joined by an ample amount of his new teammates. There were no unexpected absences, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The bigger news was the no-show by Jacobs, who rushed for 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. And it’s fair to wonder how much of the offseason he will miss because of contract negotiations.

With this phase of offseason workouts voluntary, Jacobs’ absence is not considered a holdout. But he and the Raiders are in a stalemate on a new contract.

While players who have not signed their franchise tag are allowed to participate in their team’s offseason programs, they are not covered for injury. Should they get hurt, their team could pull the deal.

Jacobs’ decision not to sign the tag reveals a level of disharmony between him and the Raiders on where things stand on a new deal. Even if he signs it, he and the team could still work out a long-term contract before a July 15 deadline.

The Raiders designated Jacobs as their franchise player last month after they could not come to terms on a long-term deal. As of right now, he would play this season on the running back tag of a fully guaranteed $10.09 million.

If the sides don’t agree to a new deal, Jacobs can either play this season on the terms of the tag or hold out.

Jacobs, 25, was one of three prominent running backs who were given the franchise tag, joining the Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard. Only Pollard has signed his tag. As a result, Barkley did not report to Giants workouts Monday, either.

Given that there are two months until the deadline to sign a new deal, Jacobs could be waiting until Barkley or Pollard sign to gauge the running back market.

The Raiders are in Phase One of their program, which consists of two weeks in which activities are limited to meetings, strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation.

In Phase Two, teams can have on-field instruction and drills in group or individual settings. Offensive and defensive players can line up across from one another, but the work is limited to a walk-through pace. Live contact or full offense vs. team drills is not allowed.

Phase Three covers the next four weeks, with teams permitted to hold 10 organized days of meetings and workouts. Commonly referred to as OTAs, the on-field work is not fully padded, and no live contact is allowed. Teams are permitted to have 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills between the offense and defense.

Teams are allowed to hold one mandatory minicamp during Phase Three.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.