Packers' Jacobs on exempt list after misdemeanor charges — SkimNews
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- Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner exempt list Sunday, three days after being formally charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property stemming from an alleged May incident with a woman.
- Jacobs will not count on the Packers' 53-man roster and cannot practice or attend games, but will continue to be paid and may attend meetings, individual workouts, and medical treatments with team permission.
- Jacobs' initial court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 17; the NFL stated it is still reviewing his case and does not have to wait for the legal process to complete before issuing discipline.
- Jacobs' attorneys — David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III — said the exempt list designation is 'an administrative procedure' and 'not a final determination,' adding that Jacobs 'looks forward to his return.'
- CBA Article 46, Section 5 credits time spent on the commissioner exempt list toward any later suspension, though a player must return game salaries already paid for those weeks.
- The Packers acquired running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the Jacobs uncertainty; Johnson, a 2024 third-round pick (No. 83 overall), rushed for just 69 yards on 28 carries as a rookie.
- Pierre Strong Jr. will not make Green Bay's 53-man roster despite a strong preseason, while MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks are expected to round out the running back room behind the newly acquired Johnson.
- The Packers also placed pass rusher Micah Parsons on the physically unable to perform list (he's rehabbing from a torn ACL/meniscus and targeting a Week 6 return) and traded a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for tight end Mark Redman to bolster depth behind starter Tucker Kraft.
Why it matters: Jacobs' absence creates immediate uncertainty in Green Bay's backfield at the start of the season, forcing the Packers to add a low-upside change-of-pace back in Johnson (69 career rushing yards) as their primary contingency. The CBA's exemption-credit rule means every week Jacobs sits on this list could shorten or replace a future suspension, raising the stakes for both the player and the league's parallel disciplinary track ahead of his Nov. 17 court date.
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