3 reasons the Las Vegas Raiders are not trading Josh Jacobs

Reason #2: Head Coach Josh McDaniels explained why Josh Jacobs played

While Derek Carr and Davante Adams hung out on the sideline with the rest of the veterans, Josh Jacobs was putting on a show on the field Thursday. I

t appears that Raiders Head Coach Josh McDaniels anticipated questions surrounding the veteran running back’s presence on the field that night and he had a good answer.

"“I always think it’s good for backs to carry the ball in the preseason,” head coach Josh McDaniels said after the game, via NFL.com. “There’s a lot of things that happen when you’re getting tackled and hit that you can’t simulate in practice. I think all our guys had the ball tonight. I think all our guys either caught it or were handed the ball and had to get tackled. We can’t really simulate that or rep that in practice.”"

It is still startling to see any true starters, and for Jacobs, in particular, an important part of the offense, on the field in the preseason but McDaniels makes a good point.

Multiple running backs saw the field including Kenyan Drake, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Austin Walter, and Brandon Bolden. The practice footage made available to fans shows that they clearly aren’t tackling at full speed/ability and the best way to learn is through experience.

Jacobs is no stranger to a real NFL game but McDaniels may have also wanted Jacobs to set the pace for the newer backs. McDaniels obviously would not have openly stated he is setting Jacobs up for a trade but signs are pointing away from that possibility.