Before taking on the Minnesota Vikings to open the 2026 season, the Green Bay Packers were just presented with an unexpected distraction after running back Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday.
According to a news release from the Hobart/Lawrence (Wis.) police department, an incident involving Jacobs took place at 8:37 a.m. CST on May 23 when authorities were dispatched to a disturbance complaint.
The initial charges stemming from the incident included felony strangulation and suffocation, and four misdemeanors, including battery (domestic abuse), criminal damage to property (domestic abuse), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse), and intimidation of a victim.
Jacobs was released from jail on Wednesday after the Brown County District Attorney's Office stated that it is "not yet prepared to make a formal charging decision" based on the evidence that has been reviewed.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Brown County District Attorney's Office added that "a final charging decision will be made by our office at a later date."
Josh Jacobs’s arrest hands Green Bay Packers unexpected offseason distraction
Jacobs is unlikely to be suspended for the Week 1 matchup with the Vikings, as the NFL usually waits for the legal process to play out. (For example, Jordan Addison was suspended in August 2025 for a DUI arrest in July 2024.) But it’s another unnecessary distraction for a team with a lot of moving parts going into this season.
Currently. Jacobs is still expected to lead Green Bay's offensive backfield again in 2026, but there are significant questions behind him.
MarShawn Lloyd has appeared in one game since being selected in the third round of the 2024 draft due to a long list of injuries. Chris Brooks also has been with the Packers for two seasons, but he profiles more as a third-down pass-catching back than the workhorse Jacobs has been in Green Bay.
The Vikings are not without their own distractions in recent memory, but outside of an Addison arrest in January, they’ve, thankfully, managed to avoid making any negative off-the-field headlines this offseason.
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