Garafolo: Jacobs to get a normal workload vs. DET

The Wisconsin television station received “heavily redacted” police reports on Friday evening, though they included allegations from three other women. There are multiple extremely disturbing allegations of physical violence. One alleged incident took place in January 2022. The accuser “contacted investigators in June after learning about the May investigation, telling police the allegations sounded similar to her prior experience with Jacobs.” She also said the incident had “never been reported to law enforcement, (and that she) contacted police when she believed her alleged experience with Jacobs could be relevant to the case.” The allegations highlight the folly of the NFL’s apparent wish that the situation would just go away. It has not, and now it is quite possible, if not likely, that Jacobs ends up suspended for the remainder of the 2026 season. Stay tuned.

Jacobs’ fantasy game was salvaged with two scores, but the tailback didn’t look particularly spry in the process. He had a long gain of just six, and there was almost no burst even against the porous Panthers’ run defense. He was involved in the passing game, but again, outside of his four-yard receiving score, there really wasn’t much there. It’s clear this is Jacobs’ backfield despite the scuffles, as MarShawn Lloyd had just three touches in the contest for seven yards. He’s a volatile low-end RB1 candidate for Week 9 against the Patriots.

Jacobs saw 18 opportunities come his way in his return from the Commissioner’s Exempt List. He played on 35 offensive snaps compared to MarShawn Lloyd’s 22, but did little to solve the Packers’ woes in the run game. Jacobs managed a forgettable 36 yards on the ground on 11 carries, but was solid in the passing game. His biggest play came in the third quarter when he turned a short pass from Jordan Love upfield for a 25-yard touchdown, tightroping along the sidelines as he attempted to stay in bounds and reach the end zone. Head coach Matt LaFleur suggested Jacobs would be “limited” to about 30 plays in his first game of the season, but his 35 snaps are on par with the 36.8 snaps per game he averaged last season. We would certainly expect him to handle more of the rushing work in the weeks ahead, but this felt like a fairly normal day for Jacobs. He will be a fringe RB1/RB2 play next week against the Panthers.

LaFleur said Jacobs’ Week 7 status depends on how he gets through Friday’s practice. The 28-year-old back has looked “great” in practice this week, per an earlier quote from OC Adam Stenavich, and seems to be trending toward a return after a six-week stay on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. At this point, we would be surprised if Jacobs didn’t play this week against the Lions, but it’s too early to assume he will see his normal workload in his first game back. Even if he doesn’t get a full assortment of touches, we would still expect Jacobs to get enough work to justify starting him at RB2.

Matt LaFleur did not publicly commit to playing Jacobs ahead of Week 7’s date with the Lions, but his offensive coordinator — who also said he’d “provide a spark for our offense” — seemed to let the cat out of the bag that Jacobs will be involved in some way. Whether that’s a start or as part of a committee remains in some limbo, but we’d be surprised if Jacobs wasn’t involved in Week 7.

LaFleur said Jacobs will log a full week of practice but also pointed out that the 28-year-old back has “missed the exposure to football” over the last several months while on the commissioner’s exempt list. Jacobs was reinstated by the league late last week and is eligible to play immediately, but whether or not he will be active next week is to be determined. We’ll see how this week unfolds, but it would be a bit surprising if Jacobs was inactive in a pivotal NFC North matcup.

Fowler is surprisingly saying the quiet part out loud here, though this has been the general consensus for fans and analysts for a while. Jacobs is scheduled to come off the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt list on Monday. The NFL is reportedly trying to get hold of the video, and Jacobs has sued to block its release. Fowler adds that the woman’s attorney said her client has not participated in the league’s investigation due to privacy concerns. If the video stays under wraps, Jacobs could be allowed to continue playing in the NFL.

According to Schefter, “the investigation will remain open for the NFL, so it reserves the right to add further discipline if and when warranted.” Yesterday, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that the league is trying to get ahold of the video showing Jacobs’ altercation with a woman at his home. Jacobs is expected to be eligible to play in Week 7 against the Lions. The situation clearly remains in flux, but Jacobs can be stashed on fantasy football benches at this time.

Demovsky notes that the NFL is trying to get the video of the altercation as part of its investigation. Jacobs is trying to prevent anyone from seeing it, citing everything from protecting the woman’s anonymity to future burglary prevention. We have no idea how this will play out, but Demovsky reported in late September that Judge Marc Hammer “denied the request by the victim in the Josh Jacobs case to have the records permanently sealed.” Jacobs is appealing this ruling. It is unclear when or if Jacobs will play in the NFL again.

Jacob’s current time on the Commissioner’s Exempt List is expected to count as time served toward an eventual suspension. Rapoport added, “If they get to the point where it’s five games, six games, maybe eight games, that might be when you’re looking at a potential return for Josh Jacobs.” The NFL is currently trying to obtain video footage of the incident from the Hobart/Lawrence police department. The victim in Jacobs’ case requested that it be sealed by a judge for privacy reasons, but that request was denied. Now the NFL has filed a FOIA request to obtain it. It seems like they won’t make any decisions on Jacobs’ suspension until they have viewed the video, which could take several more weeks to resolve.