On Sunday afternoon, the NFL decided to place star Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs on the commissioner exempt list. It’s a big decision that caused the organization to go out and acquire RB Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a notable trade. The Packers are bracing for a Josh Jacobs suspension, and the NFL will likely pass one down before the regular season begins, which is less than two weeks away.
ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (Packers reporter) relayed that being on the commissioner-exempt list means:
“The move comes three days after Jacobs was formally charged with two misdemeanors stemming from an alleged incident with a woman in May. It means Jacobs will not be on the Packers’ 53-man roster and cannot practice or attend games. He will be paid and, with the team’s permission, is allowed to be at the facility for meetings, individual workouts, medical treatments and other non-football activities.”
New Josh Jacobs details then emerged on Monday afternoon amid the ongoing legal dispute.
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Per NFL Insider and ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, Josh Jacobs officially has a court date.
“Josh Jacobs’ initial court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 17, but the NFL does not have to wait for the legal process to be completed before issuing discipline.”
As noted, the Green Bay Packers will likely be aware of what a potential Josh Jacobs suspension looks like before the start of the 2026 campaign, and the trade for Kaleb Johnson could also be a clear indicator of the looming decision.
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In all likelihood, if the Packers front office members have already said publicly they are bracing for a suspension, there’s a good chance that one is coming, but what remains unknown is the severity of the NFL’s punishment.
The NFL has noted that they are still reviewing the case regarding Josh Jacobs and a domestic violence incident in the offseason, but his misdemeanor charges include battery and criminal property damage.
As for what it means for the Green Bay Packers? Losing Jacobs for any period of time would be a pretty big blow to their offense, and the Packers would have to rely further on Jordan Love (obviously, they need to anyway), Tucker Kraft, and Christian Watson to be highly productive in Jacobs’ potential absense.
The running back room really lacks NFL experience, so expect Green Bay to move to a pass-heavy offensive attack if Jacobs does have to miss time.
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New Josh Jacobs Details Emerge Following Commissioner-Exempt List Decision