Packers running back Josh Jacobs to be removed from NFL exempt list, eligible to return next week

The Green Bay Packers announced that running back Josh Jacobs will be removed from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to practice and participate in games starting next week. The NFL’s investigation under its personal conduct policy remains open, so a suspension could still be imposed.

Jacobs missed the first six games of the season while on the exempt list; those games will count toward any eventual suspension. If a suspension exceeds six games, he would need to miss additional games to satisfy the penalty.

The Packers will face the Detroit Lions on Oct. 25 after playing the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday at Lambeau Field.

"Josh has dedicated the last several months to bettering himself, and he accepts responsibility for his actions," Jacobs' attorneys said in a statement. "He is excited to get back to work and on the field with his teammates. Josh is grateful for the support he is receiving from his teammates, coaches, the Packers organization, and the greatest fans in the world."

Jacobs was placed on the exempt list on Aug. 30 while the league gathered information about a May 23 incident at his home near Green Bay. He pleaded no contest on Sept. 10 to battery and criminal destruction of property, was convicted of battery, fined $1,000, and entered a deferred judgment agreement for the property damage charge.

The woman involved declined to speak with the NFL, citing privacy concerns, while Jacobs cooperated with league officials, according to a source. The investigation is ongoing because the NFL has not yet received surveillance video from Jacobs' garage that was referenced in the criminal report. A Brown County circuit judge lifted a temporary seal on the records on Sept. 24, leaving the decision to release the footage to the local police department, which announced it would release some documents but delayed any release pending appeals.