The Green Bay Packers finally returned Josh Jacobs after he spent the past six weeks on the Commissioner’s Exempt List due to him being investigated by the league for a potential personal conduct violation stemming from a domestic incident between him and his then-girlfriend.
With the 28-year old set to practice this week, and with a good chance to return in Week 7 to help improve the Packers’ dire run game, Jacobs spoke to the media for the first time since the incident occurred back on May 23 during Memorial Day weekend.
Jacobs expressed contrition for the situation, whilst also criticizing the length of his six-game suspension, additionally noting that he is “not trying to win nobody back“.
However, the former All-Pro tailback also had some more bizarre comments for the media, including claiming that the entire situation regarding the domestic incident, which saw him arrested and later charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property, was one of the “best things that ever happened” to him.
“You never wanna be in this situation, but me just being honest, for my life, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
Josh Jacobs Makes Strange Assertion on Domestic Incident
Jacobs took accountability for the situation, and recalled how he spent a recent team meeting apologizing to his teammates for bringing unnecessary attention to the team through his off-the-field conduct.
“A lot of guys look up to me, a lot of guys come to me about real life issues and things that go on in their lives…For me I’m just trying to show everybody that I’m not better than the next person, I still deal with my own personal things.” Jacobs said, via the Journal Sentinel’s Dominique Yates.
“The main story for me when we had that meeting was me being apologetic for the attention that was bought to the team, having the guys have to answer or watch what they say when it comes to that, so that’s just something I had to take accountability for.”
The former Raider followed up with comments noting that whilst the situation itself was not a good one, the result of it allowed the Packers running back space to think and get clear-focused on who he wants to be and what he wants his legacy to be, going so far to say that it was one of the “best things” to have happened to him.
“You never want to be in this situation.” Jacobs continued. “But just me being honest; for my life, it was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. And I say that because it gave me a chance to sit down and re-evaluate what’s important and what I want my life to look like. And what do I want people to know me for when they think of me.”.
Incident Fallout ‘One of the Best Things to Happen to Me’ – Jacobs
From his comments, it is clear where Jacobs is coming from; sometimes it takes a bad moment to help shape one’s life for the better.
But the comment itself certainly lacks self-awareness and empathy for other parties involved: it is unlikely that the victim, Jacobs’ then-girlfriend referred to in court filings as ANM, feels the same way – that it is one of the best things to have happened to her.
To say that publicly, where media scrutiny is as tough as its ever been, is certainly an unorthodox decision for a player whose reputation still hangs in the balance.
Josh Jacobs Makes Tone-Deaf Media Statement In Light of May Arrest