Josh Jacobs receives new development in legal case as Packers face major questions heading into 2026
The Pro Bowl running back was formally charged with two misdemeanors related to his May arrest.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was formally charged with two misdemeanors related to his May arrest. Brown County District Attorney filed the charges for criminal damage to property and battery, a development that could be viewed as a relatively positive outcome for Jacobs given the severity of the original allegations.
Josh Jacobs’ attorneys David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld and Clarence F. Duchac III released a statement about the decision.
“The Brown County District Attorney has reviewed evidence and elected to file misdemeanor charges against Josh that do not include domestic violence. The allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media. Mr. Jacobs respects the District Attorney’s office and the process it followed.”
Jacobs had initially been booked on five charges, including battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim.
NFL monitoring the situation for potential suspension
According to Netflix insider Tom Pelissero, the NFL has been monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review. That means Green Bay does not yet know whether Jacobs will be available for all 17 games this season. A suspension is still under consideration by the league.
General manager Brian Gutekunst addressed the situation on Wednesday, acknowledging the uncertainty but expressing confidence in the roster’s depth at running back if Jacobs were to miss time.
“I’m pretty confident we can sustain it,” Gutekunst said. “That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t do that [adding another player at the position], but yeah, we’ll deal with that when that comes. But we’ve obviously been prepared for that in case that happens. At the same time, I feel really good about the guys we got in that room and I think we can survive that.”
Packers’ depth at running back and financial implications
The RB depth has former third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd, the primary backup and who is finally healthy. Green Bay also has Chris Brooks, Pierre Strong, Jaden Nixon, and Damien Martinez in the running back room.
Lloyd and Brooks are essentially locks for the 53-man roster. Strong is battling for a spot on either the 53-man roster or the practice squad, while Martinez and Nixon are bottom-of-the-depth-chart pieces who may or may not land on the practice squad throughout the regular season.
Jacobs is in the third season of his four-year contract with Green Bay. He is set to make $11.5 million this season, including a $10.2 million base salary. If the NFL suspends Jacobs, he would lose approximately $560,000 per game as a proration of his base salary. That money would be credited back to the Packers’ salary cap, a significant financial consideration for the organization.
This marks the first substantial update in the case since Jacobs was released from jail following his arrest in late May.
