NFL
Packers Holding Steady at Running Back for Now as Josh Jacobs Legal Case Unfolds
Green Bay Packers v New York Giants - NFL 2025 by Kevin Sabitus | Getty Images
Packers star running back Josh Jacobs, through his lawyers, has “vehemently” denied wrongdoing in a criminal case in which he faces five charges, including a felony count of strangulation, and the team has released a statement largely declining comment on the matter.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur addressed the matter after practice on Wednesday, at least to some degree, perhaps most tellingly saying, “a lot’s going to happen between now and then,” when asked if the team will make contingencies at running back before the start of the season.
League sources indicated they did not expect the Packers to make a trade or free-agent signing in the immediate aftermath of Jacobs’s arrest.
Team officials made no immediate overtures to available running backs, though there are a number of avenues they could explore.
Multiple personnel executives pointed to former Texans and Bengals running back Joe Mixon as the best available free agent, and also suggested that New Orleans will be open to exploring trade options for former Pro Bowl back Alvin Kamara next month, when his contract makes moving him more conducive. They also anticipate Arizona moving former feature back James Conner by the midseason trade deadline after they invested in a running back with their top pick.
NFL Discipline Process Is Lengthy
However, in regard to Jacobs’s playing status with the league, the NFL, as a rule, does not get involved in any legal matters such as this until it is adjudicated or largely adjudicated from a court standpoint.
And with just a few weeks until mandatory mini camp, and then teams taking extended time off before the start of training camp in July, other front offices would be surprised if the Packers made any significant moves at this position early in the summer.
Jacobs played through considerable injuries a year ago, and quarterback Jordan Love missed time as well, as Green Bay regressed in 2025. Jacobs was a central cog in their offense in 2024, when he was signed to a significant free-agent contract.
The team is not viewed as being particularly deep at running back right now and would unquestionably make a transaction of some significance if Jacobs’s status changes.
But clarity on that is far from imminent.
Editor's Insight
This feels like classic early-summer NFL posture from the Packers, outward calm, but clear contingency thinking behind the scenes. With Josh Jacobs’ situation still unresolved, Green Bay’s reluctance to act immediately makes sense, but the lack of proven depth at running back means that patience could quickly turn into urgency if anything changes.
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La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.