Embattled Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been activated and is expected to make his 2026 season debut against the rival Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Jacobs was added to the active roster on Saturday after being removed from the NFL’s exempt list earlier in the week. The 28-year-old missed the first six games of the season amid the league’s investigation into allegations of domestic abuse.
The Packers went 4-2 without Jacobs despite a ground game that ranked dead last in the NFL with just 59.8 yards per game rushing.
Jacobs already pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property following a May altercation with his then-girlfriend. He was ultimately charged in August.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection was specifically accused of grabbing the woman and throwing her to the floor of his garage, causing her to hit her head. Police said surveillance footage from the camera system in the garage backed up the woman’s accusations of battery and the destruction of her phone.
Jacobs was ordered last month to attend counseling and pay restitution to the victim.
Jacobs already pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property following a May altercation with his then-girlfriend. He was charged in August
The Packers went 4-2 without Jacobs despite a ground game that ranked dead last in the NFL with just 59.8 yards per game rushing. The former Alabama star will make his debut Sunday
The NFL is still investigating Jacobs over the incident. As for the six games he already missed this year, those can count towards any suspension he ends up receiving.
‘I thought I’d be playing sooner,’ Jacobs told reporters this week. ‘But, you know, the optics of everything, I understand the other side. For me, like I said, I’m just grateful to be able to play. It was one of them things where I didn’t want to sit the whole year and then figure it out. I’m just grateful to be back on the team and to be back playing.’
Jacobs also expressed regret for bringing a distraction to the team.
‘Obviously, man, I’m remorseful and sorry for putting this team in this situation,’ the running back said. ‘Sometimes when you go through life, situations occur and a four-second, three-second decision can alter your life, honestly.’
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Jacobs’ attorneys said: ‘Josh has dedicated the last several months to bettering himself, and he accepts responsibility for his actions. He is excited to get back to work and on the field with his teammates.
‘Josh is grateful for the support he is receiving from his teammates, coaches, the Packers organization, and the greatest fans in the world. Since there are ongoing legal matters, he will not have any further comment.’
Jacobs recently sued a Wisconsin police department in an effort to keep records and evidence from his battery case permanently sealed.
In September, district judge Marc A Hammer cancelled a temporary order sealing the evidence at the victim’s request. Since September 11, the decision of whether or not to release the evidence has been left in the hands of Hobart-Lawrence police, who have thus far refused to share it publicly.
Attorneys for the victim filed a motion in September in their own effort to seal the records.
In Jacobs’ lawsuit, his attorney Clarence Duchac cited the victim’s motion to argue that the evidence should remain sealed.
‘[Jacobs] joins and supports [the victim’s] position that the identifying, private and sensitive records associated with the underlying incident should not be publicly released,’ read an excerpt published by The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the NFL is also trying to obtain the evidence as part of its investigation into the incident, a league spokesman told the Daily Mail last month.
Jacobs’ attorney also cited a recent string of robberies at the home of famous athletes in arguing that evidence from the case should remain sealed.
‘The public availability of [Jacobs’] schedule or travel information increases the risk that persons could identify periods when [Jacobs] is away from home and use released information concerning the residence, garage, access points, security arrangements, or property to target the property,’ read one portion of the lawsuit.
‘Widespread public dissemination of those details would materially increase [Jacobs’] vulnerability to theft, burglary, robbery, trespass, or other targeted criminal conduct.’
