“I have a real legacy goal”

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has traditionally favored a multi-back approach in Green Bay, but has said he sees Jacobs as more of a high-volume back. You have to go back to the 2017 season when LaFleur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator to find a back he coached who eclipsed the 300-touchdown mark, but that could happen to Jacobs this coming season.

LaFleur also likes to call pass plays for his backs, and Jacobs said the Packers “have me running real routes” — perhaps a veiled attempt to emphasize his usage with the Las Vegas Raiders. And it sounds like he plans to play a lot of third-down duty in Green Bay.

“Just to be able to show that I can catch the ball better,” Jacobs said. “Not only that, but having enough confidence in me to pick up protection. It’s just so special when you have a guy like Jordan Love out there, and you can’t just load the box every play, and you let the defense decide what they want to stop. I think that’s going to be the biggest help for me this year.”

Love could also help Jacobs immensely after wallowing in some mediocre QB play at times with the Raiders. While Love started off slow last season, he finished it in great fashion, leading the Packers to an unexpected playoff victory.

Based on Jacobs’ limited personal experience to date, Love appears to have what it takes to thrive consistently.

“For me, just from what I’ve seen, he has all the attributes and all the tools to be a superstar in this league,” Jacobs said. “I think if he continues to play, gains experience and gains more confidence in his skills and what he can do, he’s definitely going to be the next superstar in this league.”

Jacobs also sees Green Bay as a big part of his future. While his contract is structured so that he’s not guaranteed to be there for four years, Jacobs said he hopes it’s a place where he can put down some roots — and start cementing his NFL legacy.

“I can honestly say that as I get older and play longer, I have a real goal to create a legacy,” he said. “I think that’s a big thing — wanting to play in the big games, play in the playoffs, make a deep run and, you know, play in that game when we get there. That’s big for me. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Jacobs, at 26, also can’t help but notice that he’s one of the Packers’ elder statesmen on offense. With veterans David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones departing this offseason, 28-year-old Elgton Jenkins is the only projected Packers starter on offense who is older than Jacobs. Nearly all of the Packers’ skill-position players will be in their first, second or third NFL seasons in 2024.

“I’m one of the oldest guys on the team,” he said. “I don’t take that lightly. When you come in and you see these guys, especially these young receivers who are on the cusp of becoming players in this league, and being the face and being a fixture in the home, and you can help guide them and teach them little things about what I do or what I see to help them take their game to the next level. I think that’s part of the reason they brought me in.”

Jacobs admitted he still roots for the Raiders, but “obviously not if we’re playing them,” he said. (The Raiders and Packers are not scheduled to meet in 2024.)

He also has a very good bond with one of his former teammates, Davante Adams, who Packers fans know well.

When Jacobs signed with the Packers, he sent Adams an eyeball emoji text asking him if he planned on following Jacobs back to Green Bay. Given the trade rumors swirling around Adams, it certainly could have been a loaded question, even if Jacobs insists it was all in fun with his buddy.

“Davante and I, you have to understand the relationship that we have,” Jacobs said. “We joke around a lot. We talk about certain things. Actually, when I poked him in the eye, it was more about how crazy life can be. He’s leaving there and going to the Raiders, and I’m going there. That’s just kind of what we were talking about.”

But for now, Jacobs is still getting used to the completely different pace in Green Bay than in Vegas. He emphasizes that he can now focus more on football, which he believes is ideal in his new environment.

“It’s so quiet, it’s peaceful,” he said. “Every time I think about (Green Bay), all I think about is football; I think about locking down, I think about perfecting my craft. Hopefully everything I’m doing this year and (have) done in the offseason pays off.”