Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs appeared in court on September 10 and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property.
Despite the change in his court status, the NFL has maintained his status on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status as he remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt list,” The NFL said in a released statement.
Now that Jacobs has pleaded, the NFL will have an easier time gathering information compared to when it was an open investigation.
So, a decision on how long or if Jacobs is suspended will be coming soon. However, the NFL is not quite ready to make a decision. They have made it clear that they have no timetable for a potential decision, either.
NFL Does Not Change Status On Packers RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs was convicted on the battery charge and fined $1,000, and the court accepted a deferred judgment agreement on the charge of criminal damage to property.
So a suspension of some sort is likely to come. However, the initial charges were felony and included strangulation. This likely would have resulted in a longer suspension. So, it makes sense why Jacobs would plead no contest to these charges and not fight it.
Until the NFL makes a determination on Jacobs, the team will be leaning on a running back by committee approach.
Packers Have Three Options To Replace Jacobs
The Packers will head into the season with MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich notes that he expects a committee approach to start the season.
Lloyd is expected to lead the way, but he has never had a substantial workload. He has ended both of his seasons in the NFL on the injured reserve. In total, he has six career carries.
Even going back to college, Lloyd has had just one game with more than 20 rushing attempts. He also has just five games with more than 15 rushing attempts.
So, he will have to split with the others. Johnson was added before roster cutdowns. He is a former third-round pick, so the talent is there. However, he had 28 rushes as a rookie and has been in the doghouse since.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had two different coaching staffs, and both soured on him. Chris Brooks had over 100 carries last year and has 395 career carries. However, he has been a depth back who was a UDFA whom the Miami Dolphins released.
Once Jacobs comes back, he can lead this group. For now, there are plenty of questions.
NFL Issues Statement on Packers RB Josh Jacobs After Court Plea