Packers RB Josh Jacobs Placed on Commissioner's Exempt List

Packers RB Josh Jacobs will open the 2026 season on the NFL's commissioner's exempt list, leaving Green Bay's backfield in flux.

Breaking coverage on CBS Sports HQ and a detailed explainer from The New York Times confirm that Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been placed on the NFL commissioner's exempt list ahead of the 2026 season. According to The New York Times, Jacobs faces misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property charges from an alleged altercation at his home on May 23, making him one of three players starting the season on the list.

The move lands just days before Week 1, when the Packers face the Minnesota Vikings, and it removes a Pro Bowl-caliber back from the lineup with essentially no runway for Green Bay to adjust its game plan. Chat Sports notes the development has triggered a fresh wave of Packers rumors about a sudden depth-chart shift, with the team's long-term plan at running back now genuinely uncertain.

Per The New York Times' explainer, the commissioner's exempt list is a status assigned by commissioner Roger Goodell that bars a player from practicing, playing, or attending games, though with club permission he may attend the facility for meetings and workouts. The player is paid his full salary but does not count against the 53-man roster — essentially paid leave. The commissioner has sole power to place players on or remove them from the list, and players can appeal within three days. Games missed are credited against any eventual suspension under the CBA.

Jacobs is not alone. According to The New York Times, Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper is on the list facing five charges including second-degree assault by strangulation stemming from two June arrests; he pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Terrion Arnold is also on the list, facing kidnapping and armed robbery charges from a February incident in Tampa, Florida.

Chat Sports reports that ESPN insider Dan Graziano has highlighted mounting speculation pointing to oft-injured running back MarShawn Lloyd as the prime candidate to take over the RB1 role. Chat Sports' Packers Report host Joey Petersen breaks down how Lloyd's rehabilitation could translate into a breakout season, but the pressure is enormous for a backfield losing its workhorse right as a divisional opener against Minnesota arrives.

There is no set timetable. The New York Times notes players may spend any amount of time on the list at the commissioner's discretion, and Jacobs can appeal the designation within three days of notification while remaining on the list during the appeal. Until the legal process and any league discipline run their course, Jacobs' long-term future in Green Bay remains unresolved, and the Packers must game-plan for the Vikings without him.