Josh Jacobs Hits the Commissioner Exempt List as Packers Backfield Evaporates

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, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs just got his official invitation.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the league is placing Jacobs 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.

"ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the move to the exempt list following the formal charges by the Brown County district attorney."

This is a massive blow to a Green Bay offense that just put up 42 points in a wild August 29 shootout against the Arizona Cardinals. Jacobs 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 Green Bay. Rookie backup MarShawn Lloyd is already stashed on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, leaving Emanuel Wilson as one of the last men standing in the running back room. If you were holding a Jacobs 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 Packers open their regular season against the Minnesota Vikings on September 13, and they will have to do it without their star back. Expect Green Bay 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.