The Green Bay Packers boast one of the NFL’s premier running backs in Josh Jacobs, yet the team’s ground attack has struggled to gain traction throughout the 2025 season.

A major culprit has been an offensive line that has consistently failed to open meaningful holes. As a result, Jacobs has been met by defenders at or behind the line of scrimmage on far too many carries.

Making matters worse, the former Raiders standout suffered a knee injury on the much-maligned artificial turf at MetLife Stadium, forcing him to sit out his first game of the year this week against the Minnesota Vikings.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Jacobs continues to earn admiration across the locker room, including from Green Bay’s new defensive standout, Micah Parsons.

When asked about Jacobs’ influence on the squad, Parsons was effusive in his praise for the veteran’s selflessness and leadership.

“Josh always puts the team before himself. It means a lot having one of your leaders on the field knowing what he’s going through. I couldn’t be more happy to be his teammate,” Parsons said.

Known as a classic workhorse, Jacobs has built his reputation on being available in every situation and battling through pain to remain on the field for his teammates. The fact that head coach Matt LaFleur has ruled him out for Thursday’s divisional clash signals that the injury is significant enough to override even Jacobs’ renowned toughness.

As disappointing as the absence will be against Minnesota, the decision could pay dividends down the road. Green Bay faces another pivotal NFC North showdown with the Detroit Lions the following week, and getting their bell-cow back closer to full strength for that contest is critical.

Jacobs undoubtedly wanted to gut it out for his teammates, but sometimes the organization has to step in and protect a player from his own warrior mentality.