Thursday night was the NFL's annual Hall of Fame game, and the Las Vegas Raiders walked away victorious. Jarrett Stidham looked phenomenal. Zamir White looked as advertised. Josh Jacobs looked out of this world.

Wait, Josh Jacobs? Why would the proven starter be out on the field during Las Vegas' first preseason contest? Head coach Josh McDaniels answered this question after the game when addressing the media.

“I always think it's good for backs to carry the ball in the preseason. 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.”

Jacobs didn't really stand out as the odd starter playing in the contest anyway. Not only was the entire starting offensive line out there, minus Kolton Miller, but a good chunk of the starting defense was as well. This includes second-year Raider Tre'von Moehrig, who had a standout season in '21.

Even Nate Hobbs, the Raiders' prized rookie in 2021 saw time on the field.

Despite all of this, the media has fished with this story, and NFL teams are reportedly biting to see if it's true. On Friday, the Philadelphia Eagles were [reportedly] one of those teams who checked on Jacobs' status with the Raiders.

https://twitter.com/MlFootball2/status/1555681439311618048

To say the least, it's a stretch that giving Jacobs run in the first quarter of the first preseason game is any indication that the Raiders want to move on from their running back. Still, just to hammer this home, we're going to discuss why Las Vegas must NOT trade their Pro Bowl tailback.

Let's get into it.

2 Reasons The Las Vegas Raiders Must Not Trade Josh Jacobs

2. Looking at the bigger picture

I get it. The Raiders' running back room is absolutely crowded, being filled with names such as Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Brandon Bolden, Brittain Brown, and HoF game sensation Zamir White. That's the smaller picture.

On the flip side, the bigger picture is Drake becomes a free agent in 2023. While Drake is the perfect type of running back for McDaniels, the Raiders' head coach has said nothing up to this point that indicates an interest to keep the former Cardinal around. It's also hard to imagine Drake's 9-yards on 5 carries against the Jaguars on Thursday wow'd McDaniels.

Here's the point I'm trying to make; You trade Jacobs and have no real intentions of bringing Drake back. Now what do you do?

Sure, Zamir White takes over as the RB1, and Brandon Bolden has one-year left on his deal, but Bolden will be the third-down back regardless. Who comes in behind White? If you're lucky, seventh-round pick Brittain Brown becomes serviceable enough to pile a big snap count on, but why take the gamble?

Truthfully, cementing Zamir White as ready to take over as the team's RB1 in '23 after one preseason game is an entire gamble in itself. Jacobs is the sure thing and there's just no need to take all these risks. Stick with the sure thing.

If the Raiders want to trade a running back, moving Kenyan Drake simply makes more sense. Get something in return before you let Drake walk into free agency. Additionally, this trade would free up Zamir White to see the field often as Las Vegas' RB2 in the '22 season.

In reading this, you might be remembering how the Raiders elected to decline Jacobs' fifth-year option. If you're wondering if that's the Silver and Black's way of letting Jacob's know they're going to move on from him after the season is over, the answer is no.

If the Raiders picked up Jacobs' fifth-year option, it would cost them $8 million.

It isn't that the Raiders aren't willing to pay their running back $8 million annually, but there's simply no need to commit to that for 2023 when Las Vegas' new regime has yet to see Jacobs play. This is likely the reason McDaniels elected to play Jacobs in the first preseason contest; To get a feel for his potential investment.

To summarize – Think beyond the currently crowded running back room, and if you want to deal a halfback, deal the one that makes more sense. Don't take risks that don't need to be made, which is the exact reason McDaniels is seeing what he has in Jacobs before committing long term.

1. Must keep small window up

It's a little crazy to think about. In 2018, the Raiders finished with a 4-12 record. Now, just four-years later, the Silver and Black have added Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs and found out what they had in Darren Waller.

Currently, the offensive skill positions house five Pro Bowlers.

If the Raiders aren't contenders, they're right on the verge of contention, and must do everything they can to stay in that spot. Yes, that includes retaining Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs.

As a pure rusher, Jacobs is superior to anyone on the Raiders roster. Actually, as a pure runner, the 24-year-old is up there with the best there is.

During Jacobs' rookie year, he was named the most elusive back in 2019 per Pro Football Focus. A big reason was due to the Alabama alum forcing 69 missed tackles – More than anyone else in the league, and the highest recorded by a rookie since 2006.

Perhaps most impressively, Jacobs pulled this off in only 13 games.

Jacobs continued being the king of elusiveness in 2020, separating much further from Chubb through the first 5-contests of the '20 season.

The first-round pick in '19 was the fourth-most elusive runner in 2021, tying for the third-highest amount of forced missed tackles (57). Not only has the fourth-year Raider been as elusive as any back leaguewide, but he's done it more consistently than anyone.

Josh Jacobs has tallied 20+ broken tackles each year since entering the NFL. Nick Chubb is the only other player who's achieved this same feat over the last three-seasons.

On the ground, Jacobs truly can go toe-to-toe with anyone. If you move him, the team instantly gets much worse; The opposite of what you want when you're so a contender, or on the cusp of contending.

Keep your starting running back and maximize your talent while the window of opportunity is open. Derek Carr is there, Darren Waller is there, Adams and Renfrow are there. Now keep Jacobs there.