GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers running back Josh Jacobs will be removed from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, the league announced, making him eligible to practice and play next week.
The league’s investigation into Jacobs under the personal conduct policy remains ongoing, however, leaving open the possibility that he could still be suspended.
When he comes off the list next week, Jacobs will have missed the first six games of the season and those games would count toward any suspension. However, if Jacobs is suspended for more than six games, he would have to miss additional games.
After playing the Cowboys this Sunday at Lambeau Field, the Packers visit the Lions on Oct. 25.
“Josh has dedicated the last several months to bettering himself, and he accepts responsibility for his actions,” Jacobs’ attorneys, Clarence F. Duchac III, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, 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 commissioner exempt list on Aug. 30 while the NFL continued to gather information about the May 23 incident with a woman at his home near Green Bay.
Jacobs pleaded no contest on Sept. 10 to charges of battery and criminal destruction of property. He was convicted of battery and fined $1,000 and agreed to a deferred judgment agreement on a charge of damage to property.
Part of the reason the league has not closed its investigation is because it has not seen the surveillance video from Jacobs’ home that was noted in the criminal report. The video showed the portion of the incident that occurred in Jacobs’ garage but not from inside the house.
On Sept. 24, Brown County (Wisconsin) District Court judge Marc A. Hammer lifted a temporary seal of the records and turned the decision whether to release part or all of the records to the Hobart/Lawrence (Wis.) police department.
On Tuesday, the police department announced it would release some records but did not say whether the surveillance video was part of the documents it deemed available for public consumption. However, that release would be delayed pending appeals from the parties involved.
On Wednesday, both Jacobs and the victim in the case filed suit to block the release of evidence and have it permanently sealed.
