The NFL placed Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list Sunday, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, as the league continues to review legal charges stemming from an incident earlier this year.
The move comes after the Brown County District Attorney’s Office last week charged Jacobs with battery and criminal damage to property, both misdemeanors. Jacobs, 28, was originally arrested May 26 on five counts, including one felony.
Authorities responded to a disturbance call at Jacobs’ residence in the Hobart area on May 23. He was booked on charges that initially included felony strangulation and suffocation along with several misdemeanors related to domestic abuse. Prosecutors later determined there was insufficient evidence for the more serious counts and filed only the two Class A misdemeanors.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine. Jacobs is scheduled for an initial court appearance Nov. 17. His legal team has stated that the charges do not include domestic violence designations and that the allegations will be addressed in court rather than through the media.
The commissioner’s exempt list is a paid administrative leave status that only NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell can authorize. Players on the list do not count against a team’s 53-man active roster. They may not participate in practices or games but can attend meetings, workouts and receive treatment at the team facility with club permission.
The designation is temporary and does not constitute a finding of a personal conduct policy violation. Goodell alone decides the duration of the placement and any subsequent discipline. The league has used the list in past cases involving players facing legal scrutiny while investigations proceed.
Jacobs has been a cornerstone of the Packers’ offense since signing a four-year, $48 million contract as a free agent in 2024. In his first season with Green Bay, he rushed for 1,329 yards and a career-high 15 touchdowns on 301 carries while adding 36 receptions for 342 yards and one score. He earned his third Pro Bowl selection that year.
Through the 2025 season, Jacobs has accumulated 7,803 career rushing yards and 74 rushing touchdowns over 105 games. He led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards in 2022 while with the Las Vegas Raiders and earned first-team All-Pro honors that season. Career totals also include 269 receptions for 2,072 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
The Packers have relied on Jacobs as their primary back, and his absence would force adjustments in the backfield for the 2026 campaign. General Manager Brian Gutekunst previously indicated the organization was preparing for the possibility of a suspension related to the case.
Jacobs has participated in team activities throughout the offseason and preseason when healthy following the May incident. The Packers issued a statement after the charges were filed, saying they were aware of the developments and would continue cooperating with the NFL while offering no further comment.
The NFL’s personal conduct policy allows the league to impose discipline independently of criminal proceedings. Placement on the exempt list provides roster flexibility while the league completes its review of the evidence and any potential policy violations.
Jacobs was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2019 draft out of Alabama. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2020. After five seasons with the Raiders franchise, he joined the Packers and quickly established himself as a productive feature back.
The length of Jacobs’ stay on the exempt list remains undetermined. Once the league concludes its process, Goodell will decide whether to reinstate him to the active roster, impose a suspension or take other action under the personal conduct policy.
