The NFL removed Josh Jacobs from the Commissioner Exempt List on Friday, clearing the Green Bay Packers running back to become eligible for Week 7 on Oct. 19. That means Jacobs can be available for the Packers' game against the Detroit Lions, though his actual game status has not been settled.
The move changes the immediate picture for Green Bay at a position that has struggled without him. The Packers have gone 3-2 in Jacobs' absence and enter the week with the 32nd-ranked rushing offense, a sharp reminder of how much his return could matter on Sunday.
Jacobs was initially placed on the list on Aug. 30 after being arrested in Wisconsin in May on five charges that included felony strangulation following an altercation with his girlfriend. He later pleaded no contest on Sept. 10 to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property charges, then filed a lawsuit on Oct. 15 seeking to have evidence in his case permanently sealed.
The league's step on Friday did not close the book on the matter. The NFL said its reviews of Jacobs' legal situation remain ongoing, even as it removed him from the exempt list and made him eligible to play again. That is the part that leaves the story unfinished: Jacobs can suit up for Week 7, but the league has not said the case is over.
Jacobs' attorneys said he is excited to get back to work and on the field with his teammates, and added that he is grateful for the support around him while declining further comment because legal matters are still pending. For now, the practical answer is simple. Josh Jacobs is back in the conversation for Week 7, and whether he is actually active against the Detroit Lions is the next thing everyone will be watching.
