There was a lot of news coming out of Green Bay on Sunday, as the team took part in the NFL’s annual cut down day to slim its roster to fifty-three players.
In the midst of a flurry of waives and trades, the Green Bay Packers also received news on how the NFL plans to handle running back Josh Jacobs‘ ongoing legal situation.
Jacobs was officially placed on the commissioner exempt list by Roger Goodell, and today, we’ll discuss how that impacts the team with the regular season less than two weeks away.
The Breakdown
On August 27th, Josh Jacobs was formally charged by the state of Wisconsin in connection to an alleged incident in May.
The charges included misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property, both pf which are detailed in the following incident report:
The report also mentions the existence of video footage of the altercation between Jacobs and his then girlfriend, which was recovered at the end of July from Jacobs’ personal home security system.
That footage will likely be the at the crux of the case, both in regard to the eventual legal outcome, and the league and organization’s choices regarding it.
Before we go any further, I’d like to make my stance clear.
If Josh Jacobs is indeed guilty of assaulting a woman as detailed in the above report, he should no longer be a Green Bay Packer.
There is no place at Lombardi Avenue for a man who allegedly threw a woman to the ground and destroyed her phone, in addition to causing bodily harm.
In fact, with the release of this information to the public, I am quite disappointed that the Packers haven’t already released Jacobs from the team.
In all likelihood, the organization has already seen the evidence, and historically, Green Bay has had no tolerance for this kind of behavor.
There shouldn’t be any difference in this instance.
The Exempt List
So, how does the commissioner exempt list work?
With Jacobs still a member of the Green Bay Packers for now, there are several considerations when it comes to how his status will affect the team.
Most importantly, Jacobs will not count toward the Packers’ fifty-three man roster, and he will be unable to practice or attend games.
Players are usually placed on the exempt list as a precautionary measure while the NFL further evaluates a situation.
Is not technically a suspension, and as such, Jacobs will still be receiving his salary.
The team will get to choose whether or not Jacobs will be involved in other team activities, including meetings and workouts, and based on Jacobs’ continued presence throughout the preseason, it seems like he will be allowed that.
Although the league doesn’t have to wait for Jacobs to possibly be found guilty to levy discipline, it seems likely that Jacobs will stay on the exempt list until his first court appearance, which is currently scheduled for November 17th.
That is ten games at the very least, and as a result, there will be major ramifications.
If the NFL chooses to suspend Jacobs at that point, his time spent on the exempt list can count toward the service of that suspension, but given the length of due process, it’s not guaranteed how long this will take to play out.
With week one on the horizon, the Packers’ season will need to rely on who they have right now.
Moving Forward
Based on the Green Bay Packers’ moves on Sunday, it seems like this outcome was expected.
Prior to the announcement of Jacobs’ placement on the exempt list, the team made an intriguing addition to their running back room via trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In exchange for a 2028 sixth round pick, the Packers added former Iowa standout Kaleb Johnson.
Johnson was a touted prospect when he was drafted in the third round of the 2025 draft, but he seemed to fall out of favor in the Steel City quickly.
As a rookie, he recorded just twenty-eight rushing attempts while also struggling on special teams.
It’s hard to say if he’ll be able to turn it around in Green Bay, but he’s undoubtedly the kind of the back that the Green Bay Packers love, and he should have every opportunity to slide into the RB2 role behind the ex-Trojan MarShawn Lloyd.
The incumbent Chris Brooks will likely hold it down until Johnson gets acclimated, but with Lloyd’s injury history, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a running back by committee situation come to pass early on.
That’s not to say that Lloyd can’t be the defined starter, as he’s looked promising in the preseason, but it wouldn’t hurt to limit the amount of wear and tear he takes on, especially as the situation around Jacobs develops.
For all we know, we could be rocking with a stable of Lloyd, Johnson, and Brooks for the entire year.
Given how unproved those players are, that outcome is a little daunting, but in my opinion, running back is one the NFL’s dime a dozen positions.
Head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense has seen success with runners like A.J. Dillon and Emanuel Wilson as starters, both of whom are now tertiary options for other teams.
If quarterback Jordan Love can continue to produce at a high level, it shouldn’t matter who he’s handing it off to.
It’s in the Green Bay Packers’ best interest to cut ties with Jacobs now and focus on the future.
