Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs will be eligible to return to the active roster on Oct. 19, clearing the way for him to play in the team’s Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 25. Jacobs has missed six games while placed on the commissioner’s exempt list following a May arrest and subsequent misdemeanor charges in Wisconsin.
The National Football League notified Jacobs that his exempt list status will lift following the conclusion of Week 6 action. While the roster restriction ends, the league confirmed that its review under the Personal Conduct Policy remains ongoing, leaving open the possibility of future discipline. In an official statement, the league noted that its review is not affected by the change to Jacobs’ roster status.
From the NFL: Josh Jacobs is being removed from the commissioner exempt list and will be eligible to play for the #Packers in Week 7. The league’s review of his off-field situation continues. pic.twitter.com/q6vs3cmO2A
Jacobs has been sidelined since Aug. 30, when the league placed him on the exempt list after he was charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property following an incident with his ex-girlfriend. During a court appearance on Sept. 10, the 28-year-old running back pleaded no contest to both charges in Brown County Court. Online court records show he was found guilty of battery and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus costs, while receiving a deferred judgment agreement on the criminal damage count that requires 12 months of supervision, counseling, restitution, and no further criminal acts.
Legal maneuvering followed the plea deal as attorneys for both Jacobs and his ex-girlfriend filed separate motions to seal and restrict access to police video evidence from the incident. After a temporary seal was lifted by a judge in September, Jacobs and his ex-girlfriend filed separate injunctions on Oct. 14 against the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department to prevent the release of records and video footage to requesting media outlets, including USA TODAY Sports. Despite those efforts, the NFL has pursued legal avenues to obtain the footage for its ongoing personal conduct review.
“Josh has dedicated the last several months to bettering himself, and he accepts responsibility for his actions,” attorneys Clarence F. Duchac III, David Z. Chesnoff, and Richard A. Schonfeld said in a statement. “He is excited to get back to work and on the field with his teammates. Josh is grateful for the support he is receiving from his teammates, coaches, the Packers organization, and the greatest fans in the world. Since there are ongoing legal matters, he will not have any further comment.”
Without their running back, the Packers compiled a 3-2 record through their opening five games. MarShawn Loyd and Kaleb Johnson absorbed the primary workload in the offensive backfield during Jacobs’ absence, but Green Bay struggled to establish an effective ground game. The team enters Week 6 ranked last in the NFL with a total of 302 rushing yards.
Jacobs, who had 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games last year, is with the Packers. Since entering the league in 2019 with the Raiders, he has surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in four separate seasons.
The Packers return to practice following Week 6 fixtures to prepare for the Oct. 25 matchup against the Lions.
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