Two notable running backs will hold out over their unhappiness regarding their contract situations. But only one has any sort of leverage.

As most NFL teams prepare to begin training camp next week, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and the New York Giants' Saquon Barkley will likely be no shows. Both players failed to garner long-term contracts by the deadline this past Monday and will now be forced to play under their $10 million franchise tags if they do plan on playing for their respective teams this season.

The problem is, while Barkley has some leverage over the Giants considering his value — and their expectations for a deep playoff run — to the team, Jacobs literally has none over the Raiders.

This is not a matter of Barkley being a better runner than Jacobs. If anything, one could make the argument that the 25-year-old back is the best runner currently in the NFL. He’s coming off of a season in which he led the NFL in rushing yards (1,652) and touches (393).

This is a matter of the Raiders as a franchise entering a season of uncertainty when it pertains to the direction of the team. There are major question marks surrounding the health of Jimmy Garoppolo and whether or not he'll be even cleared to play by the time the regular season begins. If Garoppolo isn't cleared from a foot injury he suffered towards the end of the 2022 season, the contract automatically voids — which means the Raiders likely are in another rebuild of a season.

When factoring in the offseason trade of Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller — shortly after signing a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the Raiders — it's clear Las Vegas isn't exactly trending in the direction of a contender. It also doesn't help that they play in arguably the toughest division in the NFL, with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers and the Sean Payton-led Denver Broncos.

By comparison, the Giants just committed big money to a mediocre quarterback in Daniel Jones — $40 million per year — which means there are major expectations. There is little such commitment on the Raiders’ part when it comes to their current quarterback by comparison.

Former longtime NFL executive Joe Banner — who now writes for The 33^rd Team — recently gave a blunt, but less-than-optimistic outlook regarding Jacobs' future and the Raiders' plans moving forward.

"They probably don't want to commit to a $12-to-$15 million long-term running back deal that's probably not a great use of their assets," writes Banner. "Some of the contracts they have at quarterback, some of the deals they did are very inexpensive. I actually think Las Vegas is trying to find a way to get him to feel good enough about things, respected enough that he shows up on time, gives them the one year — and then they let him go."

There's little doubt regarding Jacobs' talent. However, the potential direction of the Raiders' franchise — they could tank for top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams of USC in 2024 — along with the devaluation of the running back position gives him zero leverage over the Raiders when it comes to a long-term contract.

The most likely scenario sees Jacobs simply no-showing training camp for a period of time to send a message. However, it's not very likely that he sits out any games considering he'd be costing himself money — $561,000 for every game missed — and he could potentially risk injury by avoiding training camp and returning when not in game shape.

Banner actually expects this to be the most likely route that Jacobs takes before eventually returning to the field.

"But I think you're going to see him be in a position by not having signed the tag," said Banner. "He can't be fined for missing any of camp, and I personally think he'll be as forceful as he can with as little leverage as he has and at least miss a chunk of camp. Gotta be careful not to miss too much because there actually is a correlation between missing a lot of camp and increasing your chance of getting hurt. "

As Joel Corry of CBS Sports notes, one major thing working against Jacobs is the lack of money he's made in his career compared to Barkley. Because Barkley is a former No. 2 overall pick — Jacobs was drafted No. 24 overall a year after his peer — he's made $27 million less than the Giants running back.

"Conventional wisdom suggests that Barkley and Jacobs would end any boycott before the regular season starts by signing the $10.091 million franchise tag," writes Corry. "Barkley is in a better position financially than Jacobs to take things further. As 2018's second overall pick, Barkley has earned $38,411,750 from the Giants. Jacobs, who was 2019's 24th overall pick, made $11,933,398 on his four-year rookie contract."

One major thing working in Jacobs' favor is that he has yet to suffer a serious injury during his pro career. By comparison, Barkley — who is just a year older than Jacobs — has already suffered a torn ACL and could have a shorter shelf life than his younger peer.

As Banner notes, Jacobs' 2023 season is a pivotal one if he's seeking a potential long-term deal next offseason.

I think he's wise to make a statement by holding out some time but I wouldn't push it too far down the line," writes Banner. "Because he does have to have a season like last year if he's going to prove to be worth what he thinks he is in next year's market."

It may be a hard pill to swallow, but expect Jacobs to show up for Raiders training camp — eventually.