Josh Jacobs should have been getting ready to lead the Green Bay Packers into Week 1. Instead, three days before the opener, he was in a Brown County courtroom putting his legal case to bed. But his problems are far from over, because the storm just moved from the courtroom to the NFL’s office.

“Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property during an appearance Thursday in Brown County (Wisconsin) Court,” reported ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “He was convicted of the battery charge and fined $1,000, and the court accepted a deferred judgment agreement on the charge of criminal damage to property. A follow-up court hearing was set for Sept. 10, 2027.”

The no contest plea had been accepted by Judge Marc A. Hammer on the condition that five demands for the court on Jacobs be met, per Demovsky.

1. No further criminal acts;
2. No contact with the victim;
3. Supervision;
4. Counseling;
5. Pay restitution to the victim

Following his no-contest plea, Jacobs also issued a statement owning up to the incident in court.

“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs said.

The charges all stem from an incident that took place at Jacobs’ Wisconsin home in May, involving a woman who told police that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground in the garage as she attempted to leave, causing her to hit her head. Police said they observed redness on her face and neck and a bump on the back of her head, while surveillance footage reportedly corroborated her account. Now, the plea might have settled the immediate court proceeding, but it does not settle Jacobs’ football future.

The NFL placed Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, which means he isn’t allowed to practice or attend games, although he continues to get paid. But there is a catch that comes with this paycheck.

Under Article 46, Section 5 of the CBA, games missed while the player is on the Commissioner Exempt List can count toward a later suspension. But if the NFL ultimately imposes an unpaid suspension, then Jacobs would have to repay the salary he received while on the list.

And now, with his court plea out of the way, the league can now remove him from that list, review his case, and determine what discipline, if any, he will face.

Whenever domestic violence cases arise before the league, it responds by suspending the player for six games. If the suspension does go through now, Jacobs would lose out on his game checks, while also damaging the Packers’ 2026 campaign. For now, there has been no official decision from the league, but that could change soon if their review is complete.

“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a recent statement. “There is no change to his status as he remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt list.”

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he had not received clarity from the league office on a potential suspension, leaving them without any clarity. They are also all set to go up against the Minnesota Vikings this week for their regular-season opener. And if Jacobs is still on that exempt list, MarShawn Lloyd will lead. That remains the case if the league hands Jacobs a suspension as well.

Lloyd is a 2024 third-round pick and has played just one game over the last two seasons because of injuries. However, he is doing better now. Also, in addition to him, Green Bay acquired Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers the same day Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. This gives the Packers backups, but it hardly matches the proven production that Jacobs brings.

He has rushed for 7,803 yards and 74 touchdowns across seven NFL seasons, including five with the Raiders. He earned All-Pro honors in 2022 after leading the league with 1,653 rushing yards.

For now, both Jacobs and the NFL have a lot of questions left to be answered: how long before the league hands down its decision, how long the suspension will last, and how the Packers are going to move once Jacobs does come back from suspension.