Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was able to move his court date up by approximately two months, and he just made another move that could further expedite his return to active status.
In court on Thursday, September 10, Jacobs pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a domestic incident in May.
“Josh Jacobs is pleading no contest to the misdemeanor charges,” ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported via X.
Josh Jacobs Will Face Legal Consequences as Though He Pleaded Guilty
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt. However, it effectively ends the legal proceedings, as the judge in Jacobs’ case will now decide on a sentence for Jacobs in the same manner as if the RB had stood trial and ultimately been found guilty of the charges by either a judge or a jury of his peers.
Jacobs’ full legal punishment remains to be seen, as does any potential discipline from the NFL, but he is almost certain to face consequences from both entities.
UPDATE: Matt Schneidman reported that the following are part of Jacobs’ conditions handed down by the court after his plea on Thursday:
“On the misdemeanor criminal damage to property charge, Josh Jacobs is ordered by the court to avoid contacting the victim, attend counseling and pay restitution to the victim,” Schneidman wrote on X.
Jacobs will also pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs as a result of the misdemeanor battery charge.
Josh Jacobs Almost Certain to Face Multi-Game Suspension From NFL
The league put Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List last month, which is essentially the equivalent of paid leave. However, the expedition of his court date and the no contest plea will allow the NFL to move into its punishment phase with haste.
The end game on Jacobs’ side appears to be getting to his likely suspension, which will come without pay and likely number several games, as quickly as possible. The end result will be his ability to return to the field of play for Green Bay as soon as he can.
At this point, any prediction of suspension length for Jacobs is purely speculation. That said, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison pleaded no contest to lesser chargers in a DUI case in 2024 and ended up suspended three games.
Jacobs’ legal issues, while also defined as misdemeanors, are more serious in nature and uglier in optics, which means a longer suspension for Jacobs is a reasonable guess. Andy Herman of Pack-A-Day Podcast predicted between two and six games for Jacobs’ suspension and that the league will likely hand it down in the next day or two so Week 1 will count toward the punishment.
In the meantime, MarShawn Lloyd is likely to fill in for Jacobs as the Packers’ feature back. The former third-round pick is entering Year 3 in the NFL but has appeared in just one game and logged just six carries due to persistent injury issues.
The team also traded with the Pittsburgh Steelers for running back Kaleb Johnson, a third-round pick out of Iowa in 2025. Chris Brooks is also on the depth chart and rounds out Green Bay’s top three at the position group heading into Week 1.
Packers RB Josh Jacobs Makes Key Move in Court to Return to NFL Faster