Legal turmoil and injury concerns threaten to derail Josh Jacobs, yet an NFL exec insists that he remains a formidable force capable of anchoring the Green Bay Packers' offense.
There are plenty of questions surrounding Green Bay Packers' star running back Josh Jacobs heading into the 2026 season.
This biggest is this, though: Will he miss any time due to the off-field legal issues that he's dealing with?
Jacobs was arrested in late May and booked in a Brown County (Wisconsin) jail on five domestic abuse-related charges. Those charges included one felony, for strangulation and suffocation, as well as four misdemeanors.
The Packers, as well as the NFL, are allowing the legal process to play out with Jacobs. Notably, the Brown County District Attorney said soon after the arrest that more time was needed to investigate the matter, and no formal charges have yet been filed.
That's still the case as we slowly inch towards training camp, but notably, the NFL could also suspend Jacobs independent of any legal findings.
It's a secondary issue to the legal uncertainties and potential issues with the NFL, but there's also the question of Jacobs' health to consider. He's 28 years old and coming off a 2025 season that saw him deal with lingering ankle and knee injuries during the second half of the campaign.
Typically speaking, NFL running backs start to fall off production-wise at 28 years old due to the wear and tear on their bodies, and Jacobs has been running hard ever since the Oakland Raiders selected him No. 24 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
So yes, there are absolutely question marks surrounding Green Bay's RB1 heading into the 2026 season. It's worth noting that if he does play, though, Jacobs is still projected to be one of the top running backs in the NFL.
He's no longer in the Top 10, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, but he's right on the outside of that group looking in. Fowler and ESPN surveyed anonymous league executives, coaches, and scouts and used their answers to rank the Top 10 running backs in the league right now.
Jacobs was an honorable mention.
"Still a really quality back but has probably slowed down slightly," an anonymous NFL executive told Fowler. "Can still hit singles and doubles but not a lot of home runs as far as explosive plays. Still really good between the tackles."
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. © Wm. Glasheen / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Jacobs carried the ball 234 times for Green Bay in 2025 and turned those touches into 929 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 4.0 yards per carry. He also caught 36 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown.
Jacobs was a Pro Bowler and Offensive Player of the Year candidate for the Packers in 2024 and he's just a few seasons removed from an All-Pro season with the Raiders (2022).
With that said, time seems to move quicker for running backs more than any other position group in the NFL, so not even considering the potential legal or suspension issues, Jacobs and the Packers could be on borrowed time.
If Green Bay can get one more season like the last out of Jacobs, it will be a massive win for the Packers.
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