Packers Activate Josh Jacobs From Exempt Status, Expect Him to Play Sunday Against Lions

Since the NFL removed Josh Jacobs and Denver's Jonathon Cooper from the commissioner's exempt list on Oct. 19, the next step was always the Packers' roster. That step came Saturday, Oct. 24. Green Bay activated Jacobs, and he is expected to play Sunday against the Detroit Lions, with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. ET.

General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the moves Saturday. Jacobs came off exempt status. Defensive tackle Jordon Riley came off reserve/physically unable to perform. Receiver Coleman Owen was signed from the practice squad, and edge rusher Arron Mosby was elevated for gameday.

The league's review is still open

The NFL placed Jacobs on the exempt list Aug. 30. That was three days after charges were filed. He could not practice or play, though head coach Matt LaFleur said he could attend meetings and work out with the strength staff.

When the league lifted the designation on Oct. 19, it gave Green Bay a one-game roster exemption that expires Oct. 26. Jacobs did not count against the active roster while he practiced this week.

The league has said the investigation continues and that his removal from the list does not hinder it. The NFL has not announced discipline. The NY Post noted that a suspension of six games or fewer would already be covered by the time he has spent on the list.

What the court record shows

Police arrested Jacobs May 26 over a May 23 incident with his then-girlfriend. He initially faced five charges, including felony strangulation. The charges were reduced to two misdemeanors, battery and criminal damage to property, and he pleaded no contest to both.

According to the criminal complaint, he grabbed her in the garage of his Wisconsin home and threw her to the ground, and her phone was broken. Those are allegations from the complaint. Jacobs has not detailed what happened.

He was fined $1,000 plus costs on the battery count. The property-damage count carries a deferred judgment, which means it is dismissed if he meets a list of conditions.

Jacobs also filed a civil suit last week seeking an injunction and a protective order restricting access to evidence, specifically surveillance footage of the incident, according to OutKick.

Jacobs and LaFleur speak

Jacobs spoke to reporters Wednesday, Oct. 21, for the first time since his arrest. He said he was "remorseful and sorry for putting this team in this situation" and called it "a four-second, three-second decision" that "can alter your life."

He also pushed back on how others may see him. "I know for some people this might be a stain on me and my character, but I feel like I don't really have to speak on my character," he said. He declined to discuss specifics.

LaFleur defended his player. "I think he's extremely remorseful, and I do believe that he's a good person," the coach said. "I've been around him quite a bit. I believe in second chances."

That is the team's stated position: a reduced case, a plea, time served on the exempt list, and a coach who vouches for the man. The league's open review is the counterweight.

A rushing attack that needs help

The football need is plain. Green Bay is 4-2 and has won three straight. It ranks last in the NFL in rushing yards (359) and yards per carry (2.9), averaging 59.8 yards per game.

MarShawn Lloyd leads the group with 122 yards and is the only back to score on the ground this season, with two rushing touchdowns. Kaleb Johnson has played 13 snaps in two weeks since a Week 4 fumble. Pierre Strong Jr. is in the mix with Chris Brooks on injured reserve.

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Jacobs "will definitely help, for sure," and called him "an excellent player." LaFleur said earlier in the week that the workload would depend on how Jacobs looked in practice.

Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024 and 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. In 32 games for Green Bay he has 2,258 rushing yards, 624 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns.

He has had one week of practice. Jacobs said himself he does not know how much the team will let him play.

The open question after Sunday is the league's. The NFL has not said when its investigation will conclude or whether it will add any penalty on top of the six games Jacobs already missed.