The Green Bay Packers could have a tough decision to make concerning All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs.
The Brown County District Attorney decided on Aug. 27 to charge Jacobs with two misdemeanours after an alleged incident occurred concerning Jacobs and an adult woman believed to be his girlfriend at the time.
Originally booked on five charges, including felony strangulation, Jacobs now faces reduced charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to
Jacobs’ legal team subsequently released a statement in the wake of the new charges being posted against him.
Jacobs was originally arrested on five charges back on May 26 after a domestic disturbance was called to the police department’s attention on May 23.
The 28-year old was subsequently released after the Brown County DA’s office said they had yet to make a charging decision on the case.
Now, Jacobs is facing two charges, that of misdemeanour battery and criminal damage to property, the pair of which could have the former Raider serve up to 18 months in county jail and face a $20,o00 fine. At least part of the reason behind the charging decision stems from the discovery of video footage from Jacobs’ garage.
Green Bay Could Move Off Josh Jacobs Without Much Issue
As Michael Ginitti points out, now into his third year of his original four year, $48 million free agent deal signed back in the spring of 2024, Jacobs has no remaining guaranteed salary on his contract.
“Josh Jacobs is entering Year 3 of a 4-year, $48M contract in Green Bay, set to earn $11.5M this season. None of his ($25M) remaining salary is guaranteed at the moment.” Ginitti wrote on Thursday in the wake of the new charges being bought against Jacobs.
Will the Packers Decide to Move off Josh Jacobs?
Jacobs’ court date is currently scheduled for November 17 – almost three months away. And it is quite possible that his legal team manage to postpone the date until the start of the offseason, similar to what happened with Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots in 2025, allowing the wideout to play in Super Bowl LX.
The league generally does not suspend players in the middle of legal situations, preferring instead for the situation to play out before handing out sentences.
Well-documented examples of this include Rashee Rice, who faced a six-game suspension in the fall of 2025 for his role in a multi-vehicle crash back in March 2024, and infamously Deshaun Watson, who faced an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season, despite allegations against originally surfacing in March 2021.
At this point, given his reduction in charges from one felony (strangulation) and four misdemeanours in the spring to now just two misdemeanours, in addition to his later court date, it would be surprising if Green Bay did move off him.
However, the one “ticking time bomb” as Drew Davenport puts it, is if the video footage that allegedly matches up with the plaintiff’s account, which Dan Van Lanen’s police report claims it does, gets released publicly, then the NFL could be forced to take quick and severe action.
But for now, it appears that Jacobs will remain on the Packers for the incoming season, barring any incoming material changes.
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