Josh Jacobs Hits the Commissioner Exempt List as Packers Backfield Evaporates
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the move to the exempt list following the formal charges by the Brown County district attorney.
The NFL's commissioner exempt list is basically the league's version of putting a player in timeout while the lawyers figure out how bad the PR damage is. Today, running back just got his official invitation.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the league is placing on the exempt list following charges from the Brown County district attorney for misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property. This stems from a May 26 arrest that originally included five counts and a felony, meaning Jacobs is officially off the field indefinitely while the legal system and the league office sort through the mess.
This is a massive blow to a offense that just put up 42 points in a wild August 29 shootout against the . was brought in to be the engine of this backfield, coming off a 2025 campaign where he racked up 929 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Now, those production numbers are locked in a vault, and the Packers are suddenly staring down a depth chart that looks thinner than a single-ply napkin.
The timing is objectively terrible for . Rookie backup is already stashed on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, leaving as one of the last men standing in the running back room. If you were holding a ticket for any season-long rushing props, you might want to stop looking at your app for a while. The commissioner exempt list is a black hole for player availability, and the NFL rarely moves quickly when it comes to reinstating guys facing active battery charges.
The open their regular season against the on September 13, and they will have to do it without their star back. Expect to start frantically working the phones for veteran running back help before Week 1, because right now, their ground game is entirely up in the air.