The Green Bay Packers are in a precarious position after an ugly start to the season, and the most recent update to Josh Jacobs‘ legal circumstances bodes ill for the futures of both the running back and the franchise.
Dan Patrick predicted on his show Friday, September 25 that Jacobs will never play again for the Packers after the judge in the RB’s case declined the victim’s request to seal all of the evidence against Jacobs permanently, which includes footage of at least part of the domestic incident between him and his former girlfriend.
“I don’t think they have Josh Jacobs play for them ever again,” Patrick speculated. “I think the judge ruled that you can show the video of him with the, whatever, domestic violence case, but you’re not gonna have Josh Jacobs in there.”
Historical Precedent Exists for Video of Josh Jacobs’ Incident to End NFL Career
There is historical precedent in the NFL for what Patrick is projecting.
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice struck his fiancée in an elevator in 2014, which a camera caught on tape. The visual of the incident likely had a stronger impact than simple reporting via the written word would have, and no team wanted to take on the public outrage that might have come with bringing Rice into their organization.
As a result, Rice never played professional football again, despite the league eventually ruling him eligible to return.
NFL Has Legal Pathway to Potentially Obtain, View Video Evidence in Josh Jacobs’ Criminal Case
The league has sought to review the video, which is part of the reason it has not made a ruling on a punishment for Jacobs regarding its code of conduct policy.
That is also why Jacobs remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, which is the equivalent of paid leave, three games into the Packers’ season.
Jacobs pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property on September 10. Based on the punishment the court handed down, the running back will face no jail time.
But the NFL is not beholden to any legal ruling with regards to its decision on potential fines and/or suspension for Jacobs. And the judge’s ruling on the video makes it theoretically possible for the league to obtain the footage in question.
“Judge Marc Hammer denied the request by the victim in the Josh Jacobs case to have the records permanently sealed and instead turned the matter back over to the Hobart/Lawrence police department, which is the custodian of the records,” ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported Thursday.
“Any new requests for the records will be handled by the HLPD, which will determine whether it is considered fair to release those records,” Demovsky continued. “The victim or Jacobs will be granted time to appear if the HLPD decides to release the records.”
According to an earlier report from Demovsky on September 1: “The criminal complaint states that the woman was trying to exit Jacobs’ garage when he ‘grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head, suffering an injury.'”
Packers’ Josh Jacobs Predicted Never to Play for Green Bay Again