Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt List less than two weeks before the Packers' Week 1 game against the Vikings, likely costing the veteran running back anywhere from a handful of games to the entire season. The move stems from Jacobs being charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage on August 27. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has the right to remove Jacobs from the list at any time, but it should be noted that four of the last five NFL players to be placed on the list for domestic violence-related reasons did not play again that season, including Adrian Peterson in 2014 and Kareem Hunt in 2018. Jacobs' first court appearance related to these charges is right before the Packers' Week 1 game. Cases like these are complicated, but if it is expedited or even settled, there is a chance Jacobs will be allowed to play at some point this season. But it's a chance, not a guarantee. That makes him a risky choice in a game where stats matter and you can't get them unless you're on the field. Third-year backup MarShawn Lloyd figures to assume the primary rushing role in tandem with Christopher Brooks, both of whom have been with the Packers for multiple seasons. The team also acquired second-year running back Kaleb Johnson the same day Jacobs was placed on the exempt list.
Jacobs' next court date has been moved up from Nov. 17 to Sept. 10, Michael Gross of Fox 11 Green Bay reports. Jacobs is expected to be represented by his attorney and won't personally appear at the hearing.
The move of the court date is going to lead to speculation about if and when he'll receive discipline from the NFL, especially if a plea deal is announced. But that has not been divulged so far. At the very least, there may soon be more clarification about what the next step in the process is for Jacobs, who remains on the Commissioner's Exempt List.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: GM expects him to play in 2026
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General manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that he anticipates Jacobs (personal) playing for the Packers at some point in 2026, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List on Sunday, three days after he was formally charged with two misdemeanors stemming from his May arrest for a domestic incident. The 28-year-old running back is scheduled to make his first appearance in court Nov. 17 and won't be eligible to practice or play while he remains on the exempt list, though head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Jacobs will be present at the team facility, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. While Jacobs is out, the Packers will have MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson as their available backfield options, with Lloyd being the favorite to lead the trio in touches.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Lands on Commissioner's Exempt List
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The NFL placed Jacobs (groin) on the Commissioner's Exempt List on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Jacobs was officially charged Thursday with two misdemeanors stemming from his May arrest for a domestic incident in Brown County, Wis, with a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 17. For as long as he's on the list, he won't be able to practice or play in games, and there's no word on how long this may be his reality. Aside from Jacobs, the Packers backfield is occupied by MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and newcomer Kaleb Johnson, with Lloyd the likely favorite to handle the largest workload during Jacobs' absence.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Placed on Commissioner Exempt List
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The NFL is placing Jacobs on the commissioner exempt list, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. He will not be able to play or practice while on the list, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
Jacobs was formally charged with battery and criminal damage to property last week, and will have his next hearing date in November. We'll await further details to see when he could be reinstated.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Initial court appearance set for November
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Jacobs (groin), who was charged Thursday with two misdemeanors stemming from his May arrest, is scheduled for an initial court appearance Nov. 17, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Jacobs is facing misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property charges, with NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy saying in a statement Thursday, "We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review." Demovsky notes that Jacobs could be subject to a suspension by the NFL, which is conducting its own investigation on the matter, adding that it's up to the league to decide whether or not to wait until the legal process is completed before any determination is made. In a statement Thursday, the Packers said, "We are aware of the charges brought against Josh Jacobs. We will continue to cooperate with the NFL as we work through the process. We will have no further comment at this time."
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Formally facing charges
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Jacobs (groin) was formally charged with two misdemeanors Thursday related to his May arrest, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.
Jacobs was arrested on five charges in May, and he has officially been charged with "misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property." Per the report, "The NFL has been monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review."
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Won't suit up Friday
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Jacobs (groin) won't play in Friday's preseason game at Denver, according to Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site.
Jacobs returned to practice Tuesday after missing time with a groin issue, so Green Bay appears to be taking a cautious approach with its lead running back at this point during exhibition season. His absence Friday is notable for workload management, but he remains on track for regular-season duties if he avoids setbacks.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: May return to practice soon
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Coach Matt LaFleur said Friday that Jacobs (groin) could potentially return to practice later next week, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.
Jacobs, of course, didn't play in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Steelers and has been sidelined for the past week. With Jacobs missing reps, MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks have been seeing additional snaps with the first-team offense in Green Bay. Lloyd is shaping up as one of the better late-round fantasy fliers this summer after Jacobs battled nagging injuries during the 2025 campaign.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Not available for preseason opener
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Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Jacobs (groin) will be "out for at least this week," Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.
Jacobs initially was held out of practice last Thursday, so this essentially confirms that his absence will stretch to at least a week and a half. He won't play in Green Bay's preseason opener this Thursday against Pittsburgh, and it'd be surprising to see Jacobs in the lineup a week later versus Denver. The Packers recently got Chris Brooks (hamstring) back from the NFI list, joining MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong, Damien Martinez and Jaden Nixon in the backfield. Lloyd is the current favorite for the No. 2 RB role behind Jacobs, who dealt with nagging injuries throughout much of last year.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Sitting out due to groin Thursday
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Jacobs isn't practicing Thursday due to a groin injury, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
Jacobs' injury isn't believed to be anything concerning, per Schneidman. The star running back continues to top a Packers depth chart that also includes MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks (hamstring). Jacobs' participation level at training camp will bear monitoring, but he isn't expected to see extensive preseason action even if fully healthy. The Packers will kick off their preseason slate Aug. 13 against the Steelers.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Stymied by Bears in playoff loss
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Jacobs rushed 19 times for 55 yards and brought in one of three targets for one yard in the Packers' 31-27 wild-card loss to the Bears on Saturday. He also returned two kickoffs for 61 yards and committed a fumble recovered by Green Bay.
After getting Week 18 off for rest, Jacobs came into Saturday's postseason matchup refreshed, but a Bears defense that had been vulnerable to the run at times was highly effective in cutting off his rushing lanes. Jacobs' long run of the night went for a modest 13 yards, meaning he netted just 42 yards on his other 18 carries. Jacobs had a quiet finish to the regular season as well since he generated just a 16-39-0 rushing line in his last two contests, and he finished the 2025 campaign having amassed 929 rushing yards (4.0 yards per carry), a 36-282-1 tally through the air on 44 targets and three fumbles (two lost) across 15 regular-season games.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Feeling close to normal
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Jacobs said Wednesday that he's feeling the best he has since he suffered a knee contusion Week 11 at the Giants, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.
Jacobs sat out a Week 12 win against the Giants, but he was able to suit up for the ensuing five games, more or less handling his normal workload Weeks 13-16 before earning just four touches Week 17 versus the Ravens and then being a healthy scratch this past Sunday at Minnesota. He's avoided the Packers' practice report entirely this week, setting him up for his typical workload for Saturday's wild-card game in Chicago. Prior to the aforementioned injury, Jacobs averaged 21.1 touches per game over the first nine contests of the campaign.
Jacobs (knee) is not listed on Tuesday's injury report ahead of Saturday's wild-card round matchup on the road against Chicago.
Jacobs had been listed on Green Bay's injury report since suffering a knee injury back in Week 11 on Nov. 16, per Zach Kruse of USA Today. He aggravated the injury multiple times since it was initially sustained, but Jacobs now finally appears back to full health after having been allowed to rest Week 18. Jacobs' injury caused lingering pain and inhibited his range of motion, but the workhorse running back is back to 100 percent form in time for a must-win game against a Bears defense that allowed an average of 4.84 yards per carry to opponents over the course of the regular season, the fourth-worst mark in the NFL.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Healthy scratch Sunday
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Jacobs (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game in Minnesota, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.
Jacobs was limited in practice during the entirety of Week 18 prep due to lingering knee and ankle injuries, but Green Bay didn't tag him with a designation on Friday's practice report. Despite technically being well enough to play, the team will rest him with the playoffs in mind. In Jacobs' stead, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks will man the Packers backfield Sunday. Meanwhile, Jacobs' next chance for game action is poised to occur in the wild-card round next weekend.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Limited again Thursday
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Jacobs (knee/ankle) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.
Jacobs has been battling lower-body injuries since he sustained a knee injury Week 11 at the Giants. He sat out Week 12 against the Vikings as a result, but he's suited up for each of the last five contests, totaling 73 touches during that span. Jacobs actually ranked third among Packers RBs in offensive snaps (13) behind Chris Brooks (21) and Emanuel Wilson (17) in Week 17, and with the team locked in to the No. 7 seed in the NFC side of the playoffs, Jacobs could find himself inactive Sunday at Minnesota to get him as healthy as possible for the postseason.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Limited Wednesday
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Jacobs (knee/ankle) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday.
Despite heading into the Packers' Week 17 matchup with the Ravens without a designation, Jacobs played the third-most offensive snaps (13) among Green Bay running backs behind Chris Brooks' 21 and Emanuel Wilson's 17. The result was Jacobs' least productive game of the season (five touches for three total yards). Coach Matt LaFleur told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic on Wednesday that some starters won't play Sunday in Minnesota, and with the Packers locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC side of the playoffs, Jacobs may be among those players to ensure he's as healthy as possible for the wild-card round.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Set for limited practice
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Head coach Matt LaFleur said that Jacobs (knee/ankle) will be a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.
Jacobs played through his nagging knee and ankle injuries in this past Saturday's loss to the Bears, but the Packers ended up managing his playing time more carefully than usual. Though he still earned 14 touches and accounted for 48 yards, Emanuel Wilson saw equal usage (14 carries for 82 yards) and out-snapped Jacobs 33-28. Jacobs will have his reps managed Wednesday, but the limited session marks a step forward from his practice participation last week. Jacobs may be ready to handle a heavier workload this Saturday versus the Ravens.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Suiting up Saturday
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Jacobs (knee/ankle) is listed as active Saturday at Chicago, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.
Jacobs didn't practice at all this week due to the knee injury that's been lingering since Week 11 and also an ankle issue, which combined to leave him questionable for Week 16 action. Following a report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that Jacobs was expected to suit up Saturday, the running back will be available to the Packers offense for a fourth straight game since suffering the initial health concern. In the first three, Jacobs handled more than a 50 percent snap share on each occasion and tallied 54 touches for 275 yards from scrimmage and three total TDs. Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks (chest) also are on hand for RB reps this weekend.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Expected to play Saturday
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Jacobs (knee/ankle) is expected to be available for Saturday's road matchup against the Bears, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Jacobs has stated that he expects to play Week 16, but he sat out Wednesday's practice and Tuesday's walkthrough session. The workhorse running back may need to upgrade to at least limited practice reps Thursday in order to gain clearance, however. He logged a DNP/DNP/LP practice slate Week 15 and was initially listed as questionable for Green Bay's loss to the Broncos, in which he rushed the ball 12 times for 73 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions on three targets for 19 yards and another score.
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Packers' Josh Jacobs: Expects to play Saturday
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Jacobs, who was a non-participant in Tuesday's walk-through practice due to knee and ankle injuries, said after the session that he intends to play Saturday against the Bears, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports. "For me, it's harder to watch games than it is to play hurt," Jacobs said.
The ankle issue is a new concern for Jacobs, but he's been managing stiffness and swelling in his left knee since exiting the Packers' Week 11 win over the Giants. After sitting out a Week 12 win over the Vikings, Jacobs has returned to serve as the Packers' lead back for each of the last three games, but he aggravated the knee injury early in this past Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Broncos. Jacobs proceeded to play through the issue and finished with 92 total yards and two touchdowns on 14 touches, but he was still feeling banged up as of Tuesday and was sporting a significant limp while moving about the locker room and addressing the media. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, head coach Matt LaFleur was less firm than Jacobs in his expectation of the running back playing Saturday, though LaFleur noted that Jacobs is "as tough as they come" and shouldn't be counted out from suiting up Week 16. The Packers' final two practice reports of the week should provide more insight into Jacobs' chances of playing Saturday.
