Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has been slammed by fans for branding Josh Jacobs’ return to practice ‘business as usual’ – despite the running back’s arrest on five domestic violence charges last week.
Jacobs, 28, turned himself in to police in Wisconsin last Tuesday on charges that include battery-domestic abuse, criminal damage to property-domestic abuse, disorderly conduct-domestic abuse, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim.
Less than 24 hours after being booked into Brown County Jail, he was released after authorities concluded they were ‘not prepared to make a formal charging decision’ based on current evidence. An investigation is still ongoing.
Amid the probe, Jacobs was free to return to Green Bay practice on Tuesday, exactly a week since he briefly spent time behind bars.
And after welcoming him back to the facility this week, LaFleur said it’s ‘business as usual’ with the three-time Pro Bowler despite the accusations he is facing.
Fans were quick to scold the Packers coach over his comment, with one reacting to it by saying on X: ‘Absolutely disgusting this low life is allowed to practice Greenbay should be ashamed of themselves’.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has been slammed for branding Josh Jacobs’ return to practice ‘business as usual’
Jacobs (left) began his offseason workout program on Tuesday, a week after his arrest on five domestic violence charges
Another said: ‘That is a very weird way to put this situation…. “Business as usual.” Really??’
‘I’m a Packer fan and this doesn’t seem right. And then for the coach to call it business as usual. Really bad form,’ a third posted.
‘Business as usual is crazy man,’ wrote a fourth.
While one went as far as to say: ‘Wow this team is disgusting.’
Despite the outrage over his return, Jacobs was able to get his offseason workout schedule up and running on Tuesday ahead of next week’s mandatory minicamp.
Quarterback Jordan Love also revealed they have ‘talked internally’ about his teammate’s situation off the field.
‘You know everyone knows what the situation is there,’ Love added. ‘But obviously the details are… everyone is keeping the details under wraps right now out of respect for the situation and all the legal stuff that will be playing out, but it’s great to have Josh here with us and get back to work.’
Earlier this week Milwaukee’s TMJ4 News revealed 911 calls from the alleged domestic dispute last Tuesday, in which dispatchers describe a chaotic scene at Jacobs’ Wisconsin home.
The running back turned himself in after the alleged incident before getting released from jail
‘Can hear yelling and screaming,’ said one dispatcher. ‘Things being thrown. Open Line. Possibly a male and female.’
A follow-up 911 call from a nearby resident added to the urgency of the situation.
‘The neighbor is calling now saying her neighbor [redacted] was assaulted,’ the dispatcher said.
The Packers star allegedly drove away in his Mercedes G Wagon, only to be tracked with license-plate monitors.
‘Yeah, at this point we’ll want that vehicle stopped if you come across it,’ another dispatcher is heard saying.
Ultimately deputies and an ambulance arrived at Jacobs’ home to meet with the unidentified victim. Jacobs would later turn himself in to police.
