Josh Jacobs returned to practice this week with the Packers after spending the first six weeks of the season on the commissioner's exempt list, putting his status for Sunday in Detroit back in play. He said he is looking forward to getting back on the field, but he still does not know whether he will actually suit up.
That uncertainty is why the question, Is Josh Jacobs playing this week, has become immediate again. Jacobs missed six games while he was away from practice and games, and the timing matters because Sunday in Detroit was the earliest return he mentioned after coming off the exempt list.
Jacobs addressed the media on Wednesday and did not hide how strange the last six weeks felt. He said it was “weird” to keep going to meetings and doing workouts while being unable to practice or play. He also said he was “excited to be back with the team, with the guys,” and thanked the organization for supporting him through the process.
The larger issue is still unresolved. In May, a domestic incident led Jacobs to plead no contest to two misdemeanor criminal charges, and the NFL's investigation under the personal conduct policy is still ongoing. His punishment has not been determined, which means the return to practice does not settle what the league will ultimately do or how long he may remain available.
Jacobs said he wants to play if he is allowed, but he would not pretend to know the answer yet. “I don't know where we're going to be at this week, or if I'm actually going to play or not,” he said, adding that his goal is to get ready and play if the team lets him. He also said, “I thought I'd be playing sooner,” a line that captures how long this wait has already been for him.
For the Packers, his return at least gives the ground game a chance to change course. Jacobs is a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, and the offense has had to manage without him while dealing with several moving parts up front. Matt LaFleur said he believes Jacobs is remorseful and is a good person, and said he believes in second chances, but the immediate football question still comes first: whether Green Bay makes him active on Sunday. For now, the answer is not yet known, and that is what keeps the focus on him going into the week.
