Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is likely going to miss a significant portion of the NFL season despite resolving his legal situation in a Wisconsin court on Thursday. Jacobs officially pled no contest to misdemeanor chargers of battery and criminal damage to property. He was convicted of the battery charge and fined $1,000 but the court accepted a deferred judgement agreement for the latter, for which Jacobs will have to reappear in court on Sept. 10, 2027.
The charges were filed against Jacobs in late August, originating from a late May alleged incident involving a woman at his home. The 28-year-old was placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list which prohibited him from playing any games until the situation was resolved and the league had decided whether to levy any penalties.
“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs said during the hearing, according to an ESPN report. The judge in his case accepted his no-contest plea on five enumerated conditions. Jacobs must not commit another crime, he may not contact the victim, he is subject to supervision and counseling, and must pay restitution to the victim.
Will Josh Jacobs be suspended by the NFL after resolving his legal matter?
Precedent indicates the NFL will remove Jacobs from the commissioner’s exempt list as a result of his plea on Thursday. However, because he essentially admitted to the alleged charge, the league has grounds to punish Jacobs accordingly.
The standard suspension for domestic violence-related cases is six games under the collective bargaining agreement. Should the league implement that before Sunday’s games, when Green Bay travels to Minnesota to face the rival Vikings, Jacobs would be absent until Oct. 25, when the team faces the Detroit Lions.
All that being said, it is still very likely Jacobs misses Sunday’s game in Minneapolis. He would need to be removed from the commissioner’s exempt list to participate and that hasn’t happened yet. Should he remain on the list through the weekend, he would still receive his normal salary despite not touching the field. If he is suspended, he forfeits all compensation. In the case of the suspension being handed down on Monday or later, his absence would be retroactive to Week 1 and he’d have to return his game check earned as a result of being on the exempt list that day.
“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status as he remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt list,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN on Thursday.
For now the Packers have no plans to release or suspend Jacobs on their own. He’s remained with the team and has been practicing through the legal proceedings and the league’s investigation.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow