Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been placed on the commissioner's exempt list, the NFL announced. While on the exempt list, the former All-Pro back is not permitted to practice or attend games, leaving his status for Week 1 firmly in doubt.
This comes on the heels of Jacobs being charged with two misdemeanors stemming from a May arrest. The 28-year-old was charged with battery and damage to property, according to court documents. Both are considered to be Class A misdemeanors. At the time of his arrest, police referred five alleged offenses for potential prosecution. Those charges included battery, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct, all involving domestic abuse; strangulation and suffocation; and intimidation of a victim.
Brown County's district attorney formally charged him Thursday with just those two misdemeanors: battery and damage to property.
"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," Jacobs' lawyers — David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III — said in a statement, via ESPN. "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."
Jacobs is entering his third season as a member of the Packers after signing a four-year, $48 million deal with the team in March of 2024. Before that, he spent the first part of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, who selected him in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Jacobs has been named to the Pro Bowl three times over the course of his career and was a first-team All-Pro in 2022 after leading the NFL in rushing.
With Jacobs now sidelined, the Packers backfield currently consists of 2024 third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd, veteran Chris Brooks, and 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson, who was recently acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers amid roster cuts.
