Today marked the court hearing for Packers running back Josh Jacobs after the date was moved up from its original schedule of November 17. Thursday has brought about a resolution to his legal case.
Jacobs entered a plea of no contest to his two remaining charges (battery and criminal damage to property), which were both misdemeanors (h/t Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). The Pro Bowl running back initially faced five charges – including a felony – upon being arrested in May. His situation changed late last month, though. An agreement is now in place to bring an end to the case.
Five conditions have been handed down stemming from the charge of damage to property, as detailed by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. No further criminal acts can occur, while Jacobs is not permitted to have contact with the victim and must be supervised. He must also attend counseling and pay restitution to the victim. Jacobs’ attorneys noted (via Schneidman) he has already begun counseling.
The battery count has produced a $1,000 fine, Schneidman adds. The damage to property count will be suspended for one year provided Jacobs meets the five conditions. District Attorney David Lasee confirmed (via Demovsky) he will not seek jail time in this case.
“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs said in court. After the hearing ended, he did not speak to the media. Attention will now turn to the matter of NFL discipline. An investigation beginning in short order would come as little surprise, since the league often waits until legal proceedings have run their course to do so.
Shortly before the deadline for roster cuts, Jacobs was among the players moved to the commissioner’s exempt list. In essence, the 28-year-old is on paid leave as a result and is not allowed to practice or play for Green Bay at this time. Criminal convictions are not required for fines and/or suspensions to be handed down by the NFL. The accelerated timeline regarding a legal resolution could help lead to clarity in the relatively near future with respect to how much time (if any) Jacobs will miss in the regular season.
During his two Packers campaigns, Jacobs has been a focal point on offense with 607 offensive touches over that span. A heavy workload was expected for 2026 as well before his arrest led to uncertainty on the topic of his availability early in the season in particular. Head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear the team expected to retain Jacobs, and that is of course likely to remain true in the wake of today’s developments.
The Packers did not immediately pursue a running back addition in the wake of Jacobs’ arrest. 2024 third-rounder MarShawn Lloyd – who has only managed to play one regular-season NFL game to date – is in line for a notable workload in 2026. Green Bay also recently swung a trade with the Steelers for Kaleb Johnson. The time when Jacobs joins that backfield setup is still unknown, but today’s news paves the way for clarity to emerge regarding his NFL status.
