The NFL placed Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on Sunday, August 30, 2026. He will not play or practice while he’s on it, but he keeps getting paid, and the move is not a suspension.
Jacobs’ representatives were explicit about that distinction in a statement: the Commissioner’s Exempt List “is an administrative procedure used by the NFL while a matter is being reviewed. It is not a final determination.” The league can still hand down a formal suspension later, but as of August 30 it has not done so. Only NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell can take Jacobs off the list, and there is no fixed date for that to happen.
Key facts
- Who: Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs
- What: Placed on the NFL’s Commissioner’s Exempt List — not a suspension; he continues to be paid but cannot play or practice
- When: Sunday, August 30, 2026
- Charges: Two Class A misdemeanors — battery and criminal damage to property — filed August 27, 2026, by the Brown County, Wisconsin District Attorney’s office
- Maximum penalty: Up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine per charge, if convicted; he has not been convicted and has not yet entered a plea
- Court date: Initial appearance scheduled for November 17, 2026
- At stake: Ineligible for the Packers’ September 13 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings while on the list
Timeline
- May 23, 2026: Police respond to a domestic disturbance call at Jacobs’ home in the Village of Hobart, Wisconsin.
- August 27, 2026: The Brown County, Wisconsin District Attorney’s office charges Jacobs with two Class A misdemeanors — battery and criminal damage to property.
- August 30, 2026: The NFL places Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
- September 13, 2026: Packers’ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings — Jacobs is ineligible while on the exempt list.
- November 17, 2026: Jacobs’ initial court appearance, which falls during the NFL’s Week 11.
The timing of the NFL’s action
The exempt-list placement follows criminal charges filed three days earlier. On Thursday, August 27, 2026, the Brown County, Wisconsin District Attorney’s office formally charged Jacobs with two Class A misdemeanors — battery and criminal damage to property. Each carries a maximum of up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine if he were convicted. He has not been convicted of anything, and he has not yet entered a plea; his initial court appearance is scheduled for November 17, 2026, which falls during the NFL’s Week 11.
The charges trace back to a domestic incident at Jacobs’ home in the Village of Hobart, Wisconsin, on May 23, 2026, when police responded to a disturbance call. His original arrest was investigated on suspicion of more serious offenses — including a potential felony strangulation/suffocation count — but prosecutors did not file that charge or several others considered at the time; the two misdemeanors filed on August 27 were what the DA ultimately brought.
Jacobs, through his attorneys, has denied the allegations. His legal team says the DA “reviewed evidence and elected to file misdemeanor charges against Josh that do not include domestic violence,” and that “the allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media.” Separately, Fox News’ OutKick and NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk have each reported, citing law-enforcement evidence, that a prosecutor has a portion of the incident on video; what that video shows has not been made public.
What comes next
No suspension length has been set, because no suspension has been issued, and the NFL says the matter remains under review.
How long Jacobs stays on the exempt list, and whether he plays any games this season, is not yet known. He is not eligible to play in the Packers’ regular-season opener on September 13 against the Minnesota Vikings while he remains on the list. He had also been dealing with a groin injury that kept him out of practice for roughly two weeks starting in early August, a separate issue that was already clouding his availability before Sunday’s move.
The Packers issued a brief statement: “We are aware of the charges brought against Josh Jacobs. We will continue to cooperate with the NFL as we work through the process. We will have no further comment at this time.” General manager Brian Gutekunst said on Aug. 26, one day before the charges were filed, that the team has “been preparing for that in case that happens,” and coach Matt LaFleur said, “I fully anticipate him being a member of our team. You’ve got to let everything play out.” In the meantime, MarShawn Lloyd is listed atop Green Bay’s running-back depth chart; the team also has Kaleb Johnson, acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Separate from the specifics of Jacobs’ case, the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement sets six games as the commonly cited baseline minimum for personal-conduct violations that the policy classifies under its domestic-abuse category generally — a reference point analysts have raised when discussing what could follow if the league eventually finds a violation, not a number the NFL has applied to Jacobs or a decision it has made.