The NFL is placing Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner Exempt List.
By being placed on the Exempt List, he does not count toward the Packers' 53-man roster limit. He will still be paid but is not allowed to practice or attend games.
The Brown County, Wisconsin, district attorney charged Jacobs last week with battery and criminal damage to property, both misdemeanors.
He has an initial court appearance scheduled for Nov. 17.
As ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio noted, the Personal Conduct Policy applies to a wide range of off-field misconduct, but the league typically takes a stronger position in cases involving domestic violence.
"Regardless of whether Jacobs is placed on paid leave," Florio wrote, "he's subject to a baseline suspension of six games -- based either on any resolution pursuant to which Jacobs accepts responsibility for the situation or through an independent investigation that the league conducts."
Jacobs rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. That followed a 2024 season in which Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.
How Should Fantasy Managers Handle Jacobs?
Without clarity -- something that might not be in the immediate future -- fantasy managers drafting Jacobs are taking their chances.
He's not undraftable, but if you're in a redraft league with a short bench, it's hard to justify a roster spot for a player with an unknown future.
For the record, a player remains on the list as long as the Commissioner deems necessary while a criminal investigation or legal proceeding is active. If we look at past precedent, stays have ranged from a few days to an entire regular season (such as Adrian Peterson in 2014).
Footballguy Sigmund Bloom offers this advice: "Don't take Jacobs before Jordyn Tyson or Travis Hunter, and maybe even Zach Charbonnet. Jacobs is a long shot with a payoff, but with worse odds than Tyson, Hunter, or Charbonnet to actually hit."
Bloom added: "No one should hesitate to take him off of their draft board completely because of the nature of the charges."
I'm ranking Jacobs as RB77, in the same range as fellow running backs James Conner and Trey Benson.
I don't know that any of the three will play this year. I'd prefer to fill a bench spot with a player who is certain to be available.
What About the Possible Options?
Running backs behind Jacobs on Green Bay's depth chart include MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Kaleb Johnson.
Johnson was acquired in a trade with the Steelers earlier in the day.
Johnson never found his footing in Pittsburgh. According to ESPN.com's Brooke Pryor, his most notable moment was a special teams gaffe when he let a live ball bounce past him on a kickoff. Instead of recovering the ball, which fell in the landing zone, Johnson let the ball bounce into the end zone, where Seattle recovered it for a touchdown in the Seahawks' Week 2 win.
From there, Johnson lost his spot as a returner, and he played just 62 snaps over the rest of the season.
Despite a fresh start with a new coaching staff, Johnson didn't make much headway in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Lloyd stayed healthy throughout the preseason, but injuries have caused the 2024 third-round pick to play just one game over the last two seasons. Brooks ran for 106 yards on 27 carries last season while contributing primarily on special teams.
Per Bloom, Lloyd should go in the sixth round, after Jadarian Price and Quinshon Judkins, but before Bhayshul Tuten. Footballguy Dan Hindery is more bullish on Lloyd, ranking him as RB23.
I have Lloyd a little lower than that at RB33.
Still, drafting Lloyd in RB3 territory recognizes the opportunity without overpaying.
Footballguy Maurile Tremblay offered the following rushing shares for the remaining Packers backs as he worked through the projections: Johnson 32 percent, Lloyd 30 percent, Brooks 11 percent.
"Lloyd is the incumbent No. 2 with the settled camp," Tremblay explained. "But two things cap his median: his injury history is chronic, and his skill set is the change-of-pace half of a tandem. Johnson is the direct Jacobs substitute: the early-down, between-the-tackles volume role. Brooks holds the protection/short-yardage/de-facto-fullback slice."
We'll be watching this closely and adjusting as needed. But for those drafting today or before we get resolution, the points laid out here -- with Lloyd worth RB3-level draft capital -- should provide a solid roadmap.
Harris was the FSWA's first-ever Football Writer of the Year back in 2004; he was inducted into that organization's Hall of Fame in 2013.
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