The Green Bay Packers still will be without running back Josh Jacobs on Sunday against the New York Jets, but the latest report on his NFL status offers a clearer path back than the calendar first suggested.
Jacobs remains on the commissioner’s exempt list while the league finishes its review of a May domestic incident that led to two misdemeanor charges. That listing keeps him off the practice field and out of games, yet it also may shorten the stretch he ultimately sits once discipline is issued.
Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported Saturday that any games Jacobs misses now are expected to count toward a future suspension.
“Jacobs remains on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he gets his full game check of $566,666 while being unable to practice or play. When he is eventually suspended, he will be credited with time served,” Jones wrote. “For example, if after three games on the exempt list Jacobs is suspended six games by the league, he will be eligible to return in Week 7 against the Lions. He would have to pay back the three game checks he received while on the exempt list.”
That credit matters for a Packers team that already leaned on a thin backfield in a 39-22 loss at Minnesota in Week 1. Green Bay managed 21 carries for 66 yards and no rushing touchdowns. MarShawn Lloyd led the group with 13 carries for 37 yards. Chris Brooks added seven rushes for 29 yards. Kaleb Johnson, acquired from Pittsburgh before roster cuts, did not play.
Jacobs, 28, signed a four-year, $48 million contract with Green Bay in 2024 after five seasons with the Raiders. He is a three-time Pro Bowler with 7,803 career rushing yards and 74 rushing touchdowns. In his first Packers season he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 scores. Last year he finished with 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games.
The legal case moved faster than originally scheduled. Jacobs’ attorneys asked a Wisconsin court to advance his first appearance from mid-November to mid-September. He later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. He received no jail time. Court terms included a $1,000 fine plus costs on the battery count, counseling, restitution and no contact with the victim, now identified as his former girlfriend.
When the NFL first placed him on the exempt list in late August, his lawyers said, “Josh Jacobs has been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, which is an administrative procedure used by the NFL while a matter is being reviewed. It is not a final determination. Josh respects the NFL process, the Packers, and his Coaches and Teammates. He looks forward to his return to the team and the NFL.”
The league has not set a timeline. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said this week that people around the league have discussed a four- to six-game suspension, though that range could change if investigators obtain additional evidence.
The remaining flash point is video from the May incident at Jacobs’ home. The footage was part of the court file. Both Jacobs and the victim have asked the court to keep it sealed.
Jones reported, “On Thursday, a judge rejected a proposed order to seal video evidence related to the case, though it’s possible, if not likely, the request will be refiled next week and accepted.” He added, “Jacobs and his ex-girlfriend have hoped to keep the video evidence out of the public’s view, which would also keep it from the NFL’s reach.”
League officials have been pursuing legal options to review the tape before they set discipline. If they never see it, the penalty could land at the lower end of recent personal-conduct cases. If they do, Jacobs could miss more than the first six games.
Until the commissioner removes him from the exempt list and any unpaid games are served, Green Bay will keep handing the ball to Lloyd, Brooks and Johnson. Coach Matt LaFleur has said little publicly beyond preparing the next man up. General manager Brian Gutekunst said before the season that the club was preparing for Jacobs to miss time but still expected him to play in 2026.
A Week 7 return against Detroit would put Jacobs back in a familiar division fight. That date is not official. It is, for now, the clearest illustration of how time already missed could work in Green Bay’s favor once the league closes the file.
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