Packers stick with Josh Jacobs amid new abuse allegations

The Packers had a week to decide what to do after those records came out. Monday night, the answer landed.

Adam Schefter

@AdamSchefter

The Green Bay Packers are sticking with running back Josh Jacobs despite the additional allegations of physical and verbal abuse against multiple women. Story via @RobDemovsky: t.co/SpTeIVTt7c

Matt LaFleur didn't leave much room for doubt. "We're going to allow the NFL to do its process, but I would anticipate him being a member of us moving forward," the Packers coach said Monday, per ESPN. So Jacobs stays in the backfield, and the league gets the final say on whether he misses more time.

Here's how it got here. Jacobs was arrested in May after an altercation with his then-girlfriend at his home near Green Bay. In September he pleaded no contest to 2 misdemeanors, battery and property damage. He was convicted of battery and fined $1,000, and he got a deferred judgment agreement on the property damage charge.

Then last week the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department released its records, and they showed at least 3 other women had contacted police about Jacobs after the May arrest. Their allegations of physical and verbal abuse go back to 2021 and 2022. ESPN reported the Packers only learned about those earlier claims when the records went public. Jacobs' attorneys put out a statement Sunday calling them "unsupported and stale allegations."

The league side is where this could still change. Jacobs spent 6 games on the commissioner exempt list and came back in Week 7. The NFL has said it will review the new allegations, and its personal conduct investigation is still open. The 6 exempt-list games count toward any suspension, so the league could call that time served or add more games on top of it.

On the field, Green Bay needs a running back. The Packers have the NFL's worst rushing offense, and in 2 games back Jacobs has 32 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown, plus 11 catches for 68 yards and 2 more scores. That football context is behind the decision, and it's why this one is going to keep getting talked about.

What to watch next is the league. Green Bay has made its call, but its own coach described it as an expectation, not a promise, and it all depends on how the NFL handles the new allegations. Until the league rules, Jacobs plays every week with a possible suspension still hanging over him.