Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been formally charged with two misdemeanors stemming from his initial domestic violence charges.
As Tom Peliserro of The Ringer notes, Jacobs was “originally booked on five charges, including felony strangulation, Jacobs now faces reduced charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property.”
Originally booked on five charges, including felony strangulation, Jacobs now faces reduced charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to
Jacobs’s legal team quickly responded, suggesting that the allegations will be addressed in court. So, Jacobs and his team appear ready to fight this.
“The Brown County District Attorney has reviewed evidence and elected to file misdemeanor charges against Josh that do not include domestic violence. The allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media. Mr. Jacobs respects the District Attorney’s office and the process it followed,” Jacobs legal team noted.
Meanwhile, the full incident report from the Brown County District Attorney included details that suggest they have video of Jacobs committing the acts.
“Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head, suffering an injury. Jacobs then took her phone from her while she was on the ground. ANM laid on the ground for a while and then struggled to walk back into the house.”
Jacobs is currently not facing any repercussions from the NFL. However, now that the charges have officially been filed, the league will review.
Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs Faces Formal Misdemeanor Charges
GettyGreen Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs’ status for Week 1 is in doubt.
The charges were already reduced from multiple felonies to misdemeanors, so it will be interesting to see how the NFL responds. The timing of the NFL response will be worth noting as well.
Typically, the NFL will wait for things to play out on the legal end before making a notable response. However, they are trying to be more proactive now. So, they could decide to do something sooner. This is going to be an interesting case study as the start of the season is coming, and Jacob is a well-known face in the NFL media.
The story might draw attention and force the NFL to act more quickly than they typically have.
Packers Have Big Decision to Make With Josh Jacobs
It is starting to look like this will be the last season that Jacobs plays for the Packers, regardless of what happens with his potential suspension. Jacobs will be 28-years old this season, but he also has over 1,800 rushing attempts.
During his first year on his four-year, $48M extension, he carried the ball 301 times for 1,329 yards. However, his second season was not quite as productive. He carried the ball 234 times for 929 yards, and missed two games due to injury.
He is getting older; the wear and tear has impacted his play, and now he has a cloud hanging over his head from a legal perspective. The Packers can save $13.5M in salary cap space if they move on from Jacobs after this season.
Green Bay has MarShawn Lloyd entering his third season in the NFL. While he has not been healthy, the team is looking for him to get more involved and slowly eat into the role of Jacobs. That would make him expendable.
Packers RB Josh Jacobs Formally Charged as NFL Decision Looms