Jacobs was placed on the list on August 30 after being charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May incident involving his then-girlfriend. The move is an administrative measure while the NFL conducts its own review and is not itself a final disciplinary decision.

Jacobs’ criminal case moved forward earlier this month when he pleaded no contest to the battery and criminal damage charges. He was found guilty of misdemeanor battery and received a $1,000 fine plus costs, while the criminal-damage charge was resolved through a deferred judgment agreement. The NFL’s investigation, however, remains ongoing.

Who is starting running back for Packers vs Falcons?

With Josh Jacobs unavailable, MarShawn Lloyd is expected to receive the largest workload at running back for Green Bay against Atlanta. Lloyd entered the season as one of the players expected to take on a bigger role in Jacobs’ absence, although the Packers have also used a rotation at the position through the first two weeks.

What’s Packers RB depth chart vs Falcons without Josh Jacobs?

Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson are behind Lloyd on the Packers’ running back depth chart and could also see meaningful opportunities Thursday night. Johnson was acquired from the Steelers before the season, giving Green Bay another option while Jacobs remains unavailable.

There is a potential suspension looming over Jacobs once the NFL completes its investigation. Under the league’s personal conduct policy, a domestic-violence suspension can carry a six-game baseline, although the final discipline can vary depending on the circumstances. Time spent on the Commissioner’s Exempt List can count toward a potential suspension, meaning the games Jacobs has already missed could become relevant to his eventual return timeline.

The Falcons boast a No. 1 running back who really needs no introduction: Bijan Robinson. Entering a hostile environment, and even though Michael Penix Jr. will start for Atlanta, the visitors’ hopes may hinge on whether Robinson can make an impact early in the game and establish the ground game. With the talent out of Texas, it’s not so much about pounding the rock or physically imposing one’s will on the defense as it is about having him run unstoppably, breaking ankles left and right and exhausting defenders.

Although Bijan rarely gets tired, the Falcons have a backup option that might bamboozle a few fans and fantasy football owners: Brian Robinson Jr. While Bijan is the clear-cut RB1, Brian plays a big role, too. Trey Sermon would be the team’s third-string halfback, but he is currently on Injured Reserve (IR) with an ankle injury.

As for the Packers, their running back room has countless more question marks than that of the Falcons. Josh Jacobs is still not playing for Green Bay as he remains on the commissioner’s exempt list and awaits clarity on his suspension. Thus, the show is now being run by a three-man committee: MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Kaleb Johnson.

Who is Packers’ starting RB?

Although neither has been able to truly run away with the starting job so far, and while Jacobs is away from the team, MarShawn Lloyd is considered the RB1 on the Packers’ depth chart. So far, the stats back up the depth chart, too.

Lloyd, a third-year product out of USC, leads Green Bay’s running backs in carries (19) through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season. Lloyd is also first in rushing yards with 57.

However, Lloyd actually has the lowest yards-per-carry average (3.0), behind Johnson (4.0) and Brooks (3.6). The Packers have yet to score a touchdown on the ground, which only underlines the struggles Matt LaFleur’s team has gone through without Jacobs.

According to Footballguys.com, Brooks actually leads Green Bay in snaps played (65), which shows his value in pass protection. Lloyd is second with 46 snaps, but considering he’s rushed on 19 of them (41.3%), it’s plain to see LaFleur rates him as the best rushing option of the bunch, if not a reliable blocker or pass catcher.

Key takeaways

• Bijan Robinson serves as Atlanta’s lead running back ahead of backup Brian Robinson Jr.
• Green Bay relies on a three-man committee with starter Josh Jacobs currently unavailable.
• MarShawn Lloyd leads Packers running backs with 19 carries for 57 yards through two games.

Jacobs was placed on the exempt list on August 30 after being charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property. He is not allowed to practice or play while he remains on the list, although he continues to receive his salary during this period.

The legal side of Jacobs’ situation has since been resolved after he pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges, but that did not immediately change his status with the NFL. The league has said its review under the personal conduct policy remains ongoing, leaving the Packers without one of their most important offensive players.

How long is Josh Jacobs suspension?

There is still no official suspension length for Josh Jacobs. The NFL has not announced how many games he will be suspended, and Jacobs remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List while the league determines its next step.

However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that a four-to-six-game suspension could be the range being discussed based on conversations with people around the league. That is only a projection at this point, not a final decision from the NFL.

There is an important factor that could shorten the number of additional games Jacobs has to miss once the suspension is announced. Time spent on the Commissioner’s Exempt List counts toward a subsequent suspension, meaning the games Jacobs has already missed could be credited as time served.

For example, if Jacobs ultimately receives a six-game suspension and spends three games on the exempt list before the NFL announces it, those three games could count toward the six-game penalty. In that scenario, he would only have three additional games to serve before becoming eligible to return.

That makes a return later in the season possible even if the NFL ultimately gives Jacobs a multi-game suspension. For now, though, there is no official timetable, and the Packers must continue preparing without him while the league completes its review.

However, Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported Saturday that the time Jacobs spends on the exempt list will be credited toward any suspension eventually imposed by the NFL. That means the games he misses now could effectively count as part of his eventual punishment.

For the Packers, that represents a potentially positive development. Green Bay still does not know how many games Jacobs could ultimately miss, but the latest report provides a clearer path toward his return because the time he is already sitting out is not necessarily lost.

Is Josh Jacobs suspended with Packers?

No. Jonathan Jones explained that Josh Jacobs continues to receive his full game check while he remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, despite being prohibited from practicing or playing. Once the NFL determines his discipline, however, the time he has already spent on the list will be credited toward the suspension.

“Josh Jacobs remains on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he gets his full game check of $566,666 while being unable to practice or play. When he is eventually suspended, he will be credited with time served. For example, if after three games on the exempt list Jacobs is suspended six games by the league, he will be eligible to return in Week 7 against the Lions. He would have to pay back the three game checks he received while on the exempt list.”

The example provided by Jones shows why the latest development matters for Green Bay. If Jacobs were to spend three games on the exempt list before receiving a six-game suspension, those three games would count toward the punishment, potentially allowing him to return in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions.

Jacobs would have to repay the game checks he received while on the exempt list, but the key point for the Packers is that his current absence could reduce the number of additional games he ultimately has to miss once the NFL announces its decision.

That gives Green Bay some potentially encouraging news while the league’s process continues. The Packers will still have to operate without Jacobs for the time being, but his eventual suspension may not add as many missed games as the calendar might initially suggest.

The Packers signed Jacobs to become a major part of their offense, and his absence leaves Green Bay relying on its other running backs while the situation is resolved. A faster path back to the field would therefore be significant for an offense that still expects Jacobs to play an important role in 2026.

For now, there is no official suspension length or definitive return date. But Jones’ report provides the Packers with an important clarification: every game Jacobs spends on the Commissioner’s Exempt List could move him closer to completing a future suspension.

Jacobs recently pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May incident. Although his legal case has moved forward, the NFL has not yet announced an official suspension. For now, his status remains unchanged, meaning the Packers must begin the season without one of their most important offensive players.

The timing creates an immediate challenge for Green Bay. Jacobs was expected to be a major part of the Packers’ offensive attack, but his absence against the Vikings means the team will have to rely on its other running backs while the league determines what disciplinary action, if any, Jacobs will ultimately receive.

Is Josh Jacobs suspended with Packers?

Josh Jacobs has not received an official suspension from the NFL. Instead, he remains on the Commissioner Exempt List, a separate status that prevents him from playing while the league continues its review of his legal situation. The NFL recently said there is no timetable for when Jacobs will be disciplined, leaving his return date uncertain.

The possibility of a suspension remains very real, however, and the expectation around the league has been that Jacobs could face multiple games once the NFL completes its investigation.

A suspension of six games has emerged as a possible scenario, although the final number could be different once the league makes its decision. Time spent on the Commissioner Exempt List could potentially be considered when determining how much of any eventual suspension remains to be served, but that should not be treated as confirmed until the NFL announces its ruling.

Under that scenario, this Week 1 matchup against the Vikings could eventually be viewed as the first game Jacobs has missed toward a potential six-game punishment. For now, though, the Packers cannot count on that outcome. Jacobs remains unavailable, and Green Bay will have to wait for the NFL to determine whether his time on the exempt list affects any future suspension before knowing when its star running back can return.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, “While Packers running back Josh Jacobs remains on the Commissioner Exempt list, the NFL could count time spent there as time served for any potential suspension. Some league sources expect this to be the case in the end.” In Week 1, the Packers will have a different RB depth chart without Jacobs.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), there is a six-game minimum for any type of domestic violence. It could be more or less, but while the NFL determines how much games will Jacobs miss, every single matchup where he isn’t featured could be counted towards the suspension.

How many times has a player been in commissioner exempt list?

The exact total number of individual player-stints on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List since its creation is not officially tracked as a single cumulative tally by the league, though dozens of players have been placed on it over the years.

It serves as a temporary paid leave and roster exemption for players facing serious pending legal charges or active personal conduct policy investigations. Only the NFL Commissioner, in this case Roger Goodell, holds the power to place or remove a player from the list.

What is the worst Commissioner Exempt List punishments ever in NFL?

The NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List is not technically a disciplinary punishment. However, some big punishments and suspensions have come for players placed on the list. These players have missed the most games from being on the list:

• Adrian Peterson (2014): 15 games
• Greg Hardy (2015): 15 games

Jacobs was the workhorse of this offense. This means that the Packers haven’t really explored much of their other options, especially since last year’s backup was Emmanuel Wilson, who is no longer on the team.

This indicates that it will be a full new-look running game for Matt LaFleur‘s team. Considering that the Vikings have a top-tier defensive coordinator in Brian Flores, this will be a tough test for the Packers.

Packers Week 1 RB depth chart

MarShawn Lloyd will finally get a chance to shine in the NFL. He has only played 10 regular-season snaps as he’s been sidelined due to a variety of injuries in his first two years in the NFL. The Packers also traded for Kaleb Johnson, who wasn’t able to impress with the Steelers. Chris Brooks is also on the roster.

1. MarShawn Lloyd
2. Chris Brooks
3. Kaleb Johnson

The running game is key for LaFleur’s scheme to work

Matt LaFleur’s offense relies on the running game as its foundational engine to control the clock, keep defenses guessing, and unlock the rest of the playbook. LaFleur comes from a coaching tree that heavily features outside zone runs, pre-snap motion, and jet sweeps to stretch the field horizontally.

When the run game works, linebackers and safeties step toward the line of scrimmage. This movement creates open windows down the field for the quarterback to exploit in play-action, where Jordan Love shines. Hence, Lloyd, Brooks, and Johnson must deliver for the offense to work.

“I play ball. I’m just ready to play ball. I’m looking for any opportunity. I haven’t played in two years, so anything is good for me,” the running back revealed during a recent conversation with the press.

Lloyd arrived at Lambeau Field after being selected with the 88th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 Draft, coming out of the USC Trojans. In the 2026 NFL season, he will have the opportunity to show the staff that he is made to be the Packers’ RB1.

Lloyd and his support for Jacobs

Jacobs’ influence within the team is important not only from a sporting standpoint but also on an emotional level. Lloyd revealed that he was a key figure during an important part of his career, so he expressed his respect for his teammate as he goes through this situation.

“I feel for him. He’s a brother forever…what he’s going through, we’re going through it with him,” Lloyd said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s my brother, so I just gotta stay on that forever. He’s helped me when I was in the worst part of my life really when I was going through those last two years.”

The Packers’ backfield has been decimated

The situation involving Jacobs has left one of the team’s biggest stars unavailable to the staff at the start of the season. In fact, after being placed on the NFL commissioner exempt list, the status of No. 8 remains uncertain.

As a result, the backfield in Green Bay has been reduced to just three names. The first of them is the aforementioned Lloyd, followed by Chris Brooks and, finally, Kaleb Johnson.

“I’m gonna do that until proven otherwise,” the head coach reaffirmed his trust on Jacobs per The Athletic‘s Matt Schneidman. The outlook for the player does not seem promising in the short term.

On the other hand, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said they’re going to “lean on the legal process” and “take things as they come.” It will be a matter of seeing, as the days go by, what will ultimately happen with No. 8 and his future with the franchise.

Jacobs out of the Packers’ active roster

The Packers’ facilities were thrown into turmoil recently after it was revealed that Jacobs had been placed on the NFL commissioner exempt list. Matt LaFleur’s plans ahead of the start of a new season were disrupted because he will be unable to count on his biggest star in the backfield until further notice.

The coach now has only three options for Jordan Love to have a running game ally. The first of them is MarShawn Lloyd, while further down the depth chart are the names of Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson.

A new hope for Green Bay

Matt LaFleur will have to redesign his offense with the 2026 NFL season in mind. The Packers want to reclaim the NFC North, and to do so, they will have to get off to a strong start.

• Week 1, at Minnesota Vikings (September 13)
• Week 2, at New York Jets (September 20)
• Week 3, vs Atlanta Falcons (September 24)
• Week 4, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (October 4)
• Week 5, vs Chicago Bears (October 11)

According to a report from Jeremy Fowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers are trading Kaleb Johnson to the Packers. The move gives LaFleur another option in the backfield while Green Bay deals with growing uncertainty surrounding Josh Jacobs.

The timing of the trade is particularly important after Adam Schefter reported that the NFL is placing Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list because of his legal situation. That development could leave the Packers without one of their most important offensive weapons, making additional depth at running back a priority.

Packers trade for Kaleb Johnson

Green Bay’s decision to acquire Kaleb Johnson makes sense given the uncertainty surrounding Josh Jacobs. Johnson entered the NFL with significant expectations as a former first-round pick, but he never managed to establish himself as a major piece of the Steelers’ offense.

Pittsburgh ultimately decided to move on, but Johnson now gets an opportunity to revive his career in Green Bay. For LaFleur, the potential value is obvious. If Jacobs is unavailable, the Packers cannot afford to enter the season without another capable running back who can handle meaningful snaps. Kaleb gives Green Bay another option behind the rest of the depth chart and could see his role increase quickly depending on Jacobs’ situation.

What happened to Josh Jacobs?

The biggest question surrounding the Packers is now Josh Jacobs’ availability. The commissioner’s exempt list designation creates significant uncertainty about when Jacobs will be available to the team.

While the Packers will presumably continue monitoring the situation, LaFleur has to prepare for the possibility that his star running back could miss time. That makes the Johnson trade particularly important.

Green Bay has major expectations heading into the season, with Jordan Love leading an offense expected to compete in the NFC. Losing Jacobs without adding another experienced option would create unnecessary pressure on the rest of the unit. Johnson provides some insurance.

Packers’ depth chart with Kaleb Johnson

Kaleb Johnson immediately becomes an intriguing addition to Green Bay’s running back competition. His previous experience in Pittsburgh did not produce the impact expected from a former first-round selection, but the Packers could provide him with a fresh opportunity in a different offensive environment.

The situation could become even more important if Jacobs is unavailable as they have no big names to replace him. Instead of simply being another depth piece, Johnson could potentially become part of the Packers’ weekly offensive game plan.

For Pittsburgh, meanwhile, the trade represents another roster decision as the Steelers continue reshaping their team under Mike McCarthy. Johnson’s departure also creates another opportunity for the Steelers’ remaining running backs to establish themselves.

“NFL is placing Packers RB Josh Jacobs on the commissioner exempt list,” ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported on his X account. The NFL’s commissioner exempt list is “a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances,” as stated in the league’s player personnel manual. In essence, it’s a paid-leave status that serves as a placeholder and doesn’t count against a team’s active 53-man roster.

With Jacobs being the latest addition to the list, he won’t take up a spot on the active roster. As long as he remains on the list, Jacobs is not allowed to play nor attend games. This means that, should he stay on the commissioner exempt list through Week 1, he will miss the Packers‘ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. In turn, MarShawn Lloyd, the second-string halfback behind Jacobs, would get the starting nod.

Packers’ running backs could move up a spot

As long as Jacobs remains on the commissioner exempt list, the Packers must act as if he isn’t on the team. That means there could be a long line of halfbacks ready to earn promotions.

Third-year running back MarShawn Lloyd appears to be the main candidate to take over HB1 duties in case Jacobs misses games during the 2026 NFL season. However, Green Bay also traded for Jacobs’ potential replacement, Kaleb Johnson, so he could run away with the starting gig as well.

One thing is clear: The Packers knew Jacobs’ designation to paid leave was coming, and the move for Johnson was no coincidence. Chris Brooks is the other running back on the team’s depth chart, which, as of this moment, doesn’t include Jacobs. His new status has effectively cast him aside from the team’s lineup.

Three players on exempt list, three more under review

Although Schefter reported there will be no more players added to the commissioner exempt list on Sunday, he couldn’t confirm or deny whether there would be a new addition in the coming days.

Along with Jacobs, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Terrion Arnold and Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathan Cooper have been added to the list, meaning they are currently sidelined, too.

Meanwhile, the league is still reviewing the situations surrounding Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive lineman Alaric Jackson, as well as Baltimore Ravens wideout Rashod Bateman.