MarShawn Lloyd played one regular-season game in his first two NFL seasons. Injuries took the rest. Against Chicago, he bulled past cornerback Jaylon Johnson for his first career rushing touchdown, then scored a second. Ten carries, 31 yards, two touchdowns. Those were the Packers’ only rushing scores through five games.

Denver has the mirror image. Jonathon Cooper started 51 straight games over three seasons, piling up 27 sacks, and has not played a regular-season snap this year. The Broncos are 4-2 anyway. Green Bay is 3-2 with the league’s worst running game. Both teams kept winning with a hole in the lineup. But both holes are due to close

“The National Football League today notified Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers that he will be removed from the Commissioner Exempt List on Oct. 19,” the NFL wrote in a statement, via Ian Rapoport. “He will be eligible to play in the Packers’ Week 7 game on Oct. 25 after missing six games.”

Rapoport also shared a statement announcing Cooper’s removal from the list.

“The National Football League today removed Jonathon Cooper of the Denver Broncos from the Commissioner Exempt List. He will be eligible to play in the Broncos’ Week 7 game on Oct. 25 after missing six games.”

In both cases, the league maintained that its investigations into the players’ respective legal matters remain ongoing.

Why the NFL placed both players on the exempt list

The NFL initially placed Jacobs and Cooper on the Commissioner Exempt List on August 30, following separate legal cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The move came under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, which allows the commissioner to place a player on paid administrative leave when he faces a qualifying felony or crime of violence, when an investigation provides sufficient grounds to believe prohibited conduct may have occurred, or temporarily while the league investigates an allegation involving a crime of violence.

The distinction is important: the exempt list is not itself a punishment or a finding that a player violated the policy. It prevents him from practicing or attending games while the league reviews the circumstances. Both players have now been cleared to return to football activities, but their NFL investigations remain open. NFL Personal Conduct Policy

Josh Jacobs: A no-contest plea and a dispute over evidence

Jacobs was arrested in Wisconsin in May following an alleged physical altercation with his then-girlfriend. He initially faced five charges, including felony strangulation, before prosecutors pursued misdemeanor counts of battery and criminal damage to property. On September 10, he pleaded no contest to both charges. Under the reported agreement, the criminal damage charge may be dismissed after 12 months if he satisfies the court’s conditions.

The legal dispute has continued beyond that plea. On October 15, Jacobs filed a lawsuit seeking to permanently seal evidence from the case, including surveillance footage from the garage at his home. According to the criminal complaint, the footage corroborated the woman’s account of the incident. Both Jacobs and the woman have filed legal documents seeking to prevent the video from becoming public, adding a dispute over access to the evidence to the ongoing proceedings.

The issue also has implications for the NFL’s investigation. The league has reportedly sought access to the footage, while the parties have argued against its public release. Jacobs’ attorneys have cited privacy concerns involving the woman and sensitive security details about his home. The distinction matters: restricting public access to evidence would not, by itself, prevent the league from conducting its own review or determine what disciplinary action it might take.

In a statement, Jacobs’ attorneys said he had spent the past several months working to better himself and accepted responsibility for his actions. They added that he was eager to return to the field and grateful for the support of his teammates, coaches and the Packers organization. The attorneys also said he would not comment further while the legal matters remained ongoing.

Jacobs’ return should not be read as a clean slate with the NFL. The league’s investigation under its Personal Conduct Policy remains active, and further discipline is still possible. Time spent on the Commissioner Exempt List can count toward a suspension, but the league has not announced a final disciplinary decision. His reinstatement establishes when he can play again, not whether the matter is closed.

The policy basis for Jacobs’ placement was the pending criminal case involving battery and criminal damage to property, following an arrest that initially included a felony strangulation allegation. Those charges prompted the league to review whether the alleged conduct fell within its restrictions on violence and personal conduct. His no-contest plea is a development in the criminal case, but it does not automatically determine the outcome of the NFL’s separate investigation.

Jonathon Cooper: Separate charges and a pending trial

Cooper’s legal situation is separate. He was arrested in Colorado on June 4 following an alleged domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend. Prosecutors subsequently dropped charges against the woman and brought additional charges against Cooper, including felony second-degree assault by strangulation. A protection order was also granted to the woman, and Cooper pleaded not guilty on June 9.

Cooper was arrested again on June 12 over allegations that he violated that protection order through repeated phone calls. He faces additional charges connected to the alleged violation. His trial in the domestic violence case has been moved to March 2027, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for February 19. The NFL has not announced a timeline for completing its investigation, and his removal from the exempt list does not settle the pending allegations.

Cooper’s placement on the exempt list followed two arrests tied to the June incidents. The underlying allegations included domestic violence and felony second-degree assault by strangulation, while the second arrest involved alleged harassment and violation of a protection order. The NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy permits paid leave in qualifying cases involving alleged violent conduct, including while the league conducts a preliminary investigation. Cooper has pleaded not guilty, and the charges remain allegations rather than established findings of guilt.

Cooper addressed his reinstatement in a statement posted to Instagram on Friday, emphasizing that his return would not end his efforts to improve himself.

“Playing in the NFL and representing the Denver Broncos is a privilege I do not take for granted,” Cooper wrote. “I’m grateful to ownership, my teammates, coaches, and everyone in the organization for their support as well as Commissioner Goodell and the league for the opportunity to return.”

He added that he had spent the previous several months working on himself and that the work would continue. “My focus is on being the best person, father, teammate and member of this community I can be. I will show that commitment through my actions every day.”

What their returns mean for Green Bay and Denver

For Denver, Cooper’s reinstatement comes after a 17-14 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football lifted the Broncos to 4-2. He started all 17 games in each of the previous three seasons and recorded 27 sacks over that stretch, including eight in 2025. His return gives the Broncos another proven pass rusher for their October 25 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Denver has managed without him through the opening six games, but his availability offers additional depth on the edge as the season progresses.

Green Bay has a more immediate offensive need. The Packers went 3-2 without Jacobs and entered Week 7 ranked 32nd in rushing, averaging 60.4 yards per game through their first five contests. His production in the previous two seasons helps explain what his return could mean: he rushed for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024, followed by 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025. Those numbers make him a significant addition to an offense that has struggled to establish its ground game, although the Packers will still have to determine how quickly to restore him to his previous workload.

Jacobs is eligible to return against the Detroit Lions on October 25, while Cooper can suit up against the Cardinals on the same day. Their reinstatements give both teams back established contributors after six games away. But the football implications are only part of the story: the players can return to the field while the NFL’s investigations and their respective legal proceedings continue, leaving the possibility of further developments beyond Week 7.