If the Green Bay Packers were hoping that Josh Jacobs would resolve his legal troubles before the start of NFL training camp, they didn’t get their wish.
According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the Brown County District Attorney’s Office told his employer in a July 23 email that the domestic violence “investigation into running back Josh Jacobs was still open” in relation to his arrest in Wisconsin in May.
The D.A.’s Office added that it would provide an update “once a resolution is reached.”
Jacobs was arrested on May 26 and booked into Brown County Jail in Wisconsin on five charges related to domestic abuse, including felony strangulation, according to a release from Hobart/Lawrence Police Department. The arrest stemmed from an incident three days earlier in which police responded to a disturbance complaint involving Jacobs.
Police also booked Jacobs on four misdemeanor charges of battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a victim, according to the release.
While Jacobs has denied the allegations and was released from custody the next day, Brown County D.A. David L. Lasee said in a statement that his office was requesting “additional investigation” and would decide whether to charge Jacobs at a later date.
“Jacobs practiced all offseason while under investigation and teammates strongly supported him,” Schneidman wrote on July 27. “There’s no telling when this will wrap up or what the resolution will be.”
Could NFL Suspend Josh Jacobs for Conduct Violation?
Jacobs doesn’t currently have any charges filed against him in Wisconsin in relation to his May 2026 domestic abuse arrest and, even if he did, is innocent until proven guilty.
That said, the NFL could still choose to punish him for the incident, even if the Brown County District Attorney’s Office decides against pursuing charges against Jacobs.
The NFL can penalize a player for what it deems to be a violation of its personal conduct policy even without legal charges. The league notoriously did so with former Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott in 2017 following a criminal investigation into domestic violence allegations made by Elliott’s ex-girlfriend in Columbus, Ohio.
Elliott wound up with a six-game suspension and dropped his initial attempt to appeal.
While the context of each case is different, it is not unreasonable to think that the NFL could take a similar path with Jacobs if the Brown County D.A.’s Office finishes up its investigation into him before the season, especially if it brings charges against him.
Packers Lack Proper Backup Plan for Josh Jacobs
The Packers are not at the point where they need to start planning for Jacobs not being available at the start of the 2026 season, but organizing a backup plan wouldn’t hurt.
As things stand on July 28, the Packers have questionable backup options in place on their depth chart behind Jacobs. Chris Brooks is back after signing a two-year extension in the offseason, but he will start camp on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list. Meanwhile, MarShawn Lloyd also returns after an injury-plagued first two seasons.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic for Lloyd, a 2024 third-round pick, if he manages to stay healthy for the first time in his career. Still, the Packers could find themselves on thin ice if they lose Jacobs and must lean into Lloyd as their primary starting tailback.
The question now is: should the Packers evaluate their emergency options and bring in another veteran to compete for a roster spot now, or wait things out with Jacobs?
The Packers are not without options. Former first-round pick Najee Harris is still on the free-agent market, as are veterans Nick Chubb, Austin Ekeler and Miles Sanders. They could also kick the tires on low-cost trade options if they near the end of camp and find that another team is looking to move on from a talented back that intrigues them.
For now, though, any amount of securing the running back position that the Packers do is purely to create a contingency for Jacobs, who remains the focus of an investigation.
Packers Get Bad News on RB Josh Jacobs Before Training Camp