The NFL announced Friday that Josh Jacobs will be removed from the commissioner's exempt list on Monday, clearing the three-time Pro Bowl running back to practice and play beginning with Green Bay's Oct. 25 trip to Detroit.
Immediate return to starting lineup
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Jacobs "will immediately return as the Packers' starting running back" for the Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions, signaling Green Bay does not plan an extended ramp-up or a temporary reduced role once he is cleared. Pelissero's reporting indicates Jacobs will step right back into the role he occupied before being placed on the exempt list.
While on the exempt list, Jacobs was not permitted to practice or attend games. The list was opened Aug. 30 after Jacobs pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges related to a May arrest; that sequence of events led to the league's separate review and his temporary removal from team activities.
Run game outlook and lingering questions
The Packers' rushing attack has struggled in Jacobs' absence, a shortfall Green Bay will look to remedy when he returns. Yahoo! News described Jacobs' reinstatement as a move that should provide a significant boost to Green Bay's run game, a view that frames his availability as a potential immediate corrective for the offense.
That optimism comes with caveats. The league is continuing its investigation into the matter and could still impose further discipline, including a suspension, at a later date, a possibility noted in reporting on the situation. For now, however, Jacobs will be eligible to practice and play starting Oct. 25, and Green Bay's decision-making suggests he will be counted on from the first snap after his return.
With the Lions looming in Week 7, the Packers will have a veteran ball-carrier back in the backfield and a coaching staff that, according to reporting, expects him to resume his previous workload immediately. How quickly Jacobs meshes back into Green Bay's game plan and how the offense responds will be a central storyline leading into the Detroit matchup.
