Josh Jacobs’ Week 1 status is in doubt.
The NFL placed the Green Bay Packers running back on the commissioner’s exempt list, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday.
Jacobs is facing misdemeanour charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from what police described as a physical confrontation with his girlfriend in May.
His lawyers — David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III — issued a statement acknowledging the charges earlier in August, noting they “do not include domestic violence.”
The commissioner’s exempt list essentially places Jacobs on indefinite paid leave. The Packers open their season Sept. 13 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.
Jacobs rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. That followed a 2024 season in which Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.
The 28-year-old has rushed for 7,803 yards and 74 touchdowns in his seven-year career, which included five seasons with the Raiders. He earned All-Pro honours and had an NFL-leading 1,653 yards rushing with Las Vegas in 2022.
Earlier Sunday, the Packers reportedly acquired running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
–with files from The Associated Press