Packers express hope Josh Jacobs,
who faces legal issues, can play sometime this season
[September 02, 2026]
By STEVE MEGARGEE
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs
still has the support of his coach and general manager, who remain
optimistic the three-time Pro Bowler will come off the
commissioner’s exempt list and play sometime this season.
Jacobs was placed on the exempt list after being charged with two
misdemeanors in a domestic violence case.
“There were many conversations obviously and certainly don’t know
all the details, but what he tells me, I believe him and I trust
him,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday. “I’m going to do that
until proven otherwise.”
General manager Brian Gutekunst said he is hopeful the running back
will return before the end of the season. “But we’re going to let
this process play out, and we’ll be prepared either way,” Gutekunst
said.
Gutekunst said he hasn’t seen the video that the Brown County
(Wisconsin) District Attorney’s office says it has as evidence
corroborating statements made by Jacobs’ girlfriend regarding their
May 23 altercation. Jacobs, who was arrested May 26, faces charges
of battery and criminal damage to property.
District Attorney David Lasee announced Thursday that the charges
were being filed. Three days later, the NFL put Jacobs on the exempt
list, which prevents him from playing or practicing but allows him
to keep receiving a paycheck.
Upon request and with the club’s permission, Jacobs may be allowed
at the facility for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and
rehabilitation and other non-football activities.
The NFL is investigating Jacobs' situation and he could be suspended
by the league. Any games he misses while on the exempt list would
count toward his suspension, but he would also have to repay the
money he earned during that time.
LaFleur said the Packers were prepared for the possibility Jacobs
might get placed on the list.
“I’ve seen this guy,” LaFleur said. “I’ve got a love and care and
respect for how he is as a person, who he is as a teammate.
Obviously a very unfortunate situation, but one that we have to deal
with.”
Jacobs’ lawyers — David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and
Clarence F. Duchac III — have noted that the move to the
commissioner’s exempt list “is not a final determination.” They
added that Jacobs “looks forward to his return to the team and the
NFL.”
Hobart-Lawrence police officers who responded to the May 23 call
said Jacobs’ girlfriend told them she had a lump on her head as a
result of Jacobs’ actions.
According to police, the woman said she had been looking through
Jacobs’ phone and saw he was talking to other women, and that she
threw the phone in anger without breaking it. She told police that
Jacobs had her phone and she told him he could look through it.
According to police, the woman indicated she tried to retrieve her
phone from Jacobs, but he grabbed her arm and began a struggle
lasting several minutes. They left the home in separate vehicles
before eventually returning.
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Green Bay Packers' Josh Jacobs talks to Marshawn Lloyd before a
preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Friday,
Aug. 28, 2026, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Police said the woman was trying to exit a garage
door when Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground, causing
her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took the phone from her
while she was on the ground.
According to the criminal complaint, surveillance
footage from the camera system in the garage backed up the woman’s
statement.
“We have not seen the video,” Gutekunst said. “Those are legal
things going on right now, so we’ll let those play out. ... But in
the appropriate times, if those things become available, we’ll
figure that stuff out when that time comes.”
Packers lack experienced running backs
Jacobs' absence hurts Green Bay at a position where it already
lacked depth.
MarShawn Lloyd, a third-round draft pick in 2024, has played just
one game in two seasons because of injuries, though he's now
healthy. Chris Brooks rushed for 106 yards on 27 carries last year.
The Packers acquired 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson from
Pittsburgh for a 2028 sixth-round selection on Sunday.
Johnson had 28 carries for 69 yards as a rookie. His second career
game was a 31-17 loss at Seattle in which he didn't chase a kickoff
that bounced over his head, leading to a Seahawks touchdown.
“I feel like that kickoff killed me, and from then on it was just
downhill from there,” Johnson said. “I give all respect to the
Steelers for giving me a chance and drafting me, but it’s ‘Go Pack
Go’ now, so let’s go.”
Lloyd said he got a lot of assistance from Jacobs, who gave him
rides to practice and helped him persevere through his injuries.
Now Lloyd is offering support to his older teammate.
“I don't know what's going on, but that's my brother, so I've just
got to stay on that forever,” Lloyd said. “He's helped me when I was
in the worst part of my life really, those last two years.”
News and notes
The Packers added QB Kedon Slovis to their practice squad. Slovis
had been in Arizona's training camp. ... Gutekunst believes WR
Savion Williams (ankle) and DE Collin Oliver (Achilles tendon), both
on injured reserve, should be ready to return shortly after they've
missed the required four games.
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