Packers coach Matt LaFleur says team will keep Josh Jacobs amid NFL probe
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The gist
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he expects Josh Jacobs to stay with the team while the NFL investigates.
Jacobs' status and Micah Parsons' return to practice are the two storylines to watch.
Background
Matt LaFleur is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, the NFL team. Josh Jacobs, the Packers' running back, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend and spent the season's first six games on the commissioner's exempt list (a league hold that keeps a player off the field during an investigation). Over the weekend, local police released their report of the May incident, which included past allegations against Jacobs dating to 2021 and 2022, and the league said it would look into them. LaFleur addressed that and the pending return of edge rusher Micah Parsons, a four-time All-Pro recovering from knee surgery, in his Monday remarks.
How it unfolded
- Sep 1, 2026After charges were filed against Josh Jacobs, LaFleur said "I believe him and I trust him" and that he would do so "until proven otherwise."
- Oct 25, 2026The Packers lost 20-17 to the Detroit Lions, and players called out the officiating after the game.
- Oct 29, 2026Jacobs scored two touchdowns in a 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers and celebrated the first by briefly putting his hands together behind his back.
- Nov 2, 2026LaFleur said the team will let the NFL's investigation proceed without comment but expects Jacobs to remain with the Packers; he also said he is "hopeful" Micah Parsons can return to practice this week.
- Nov 4, 2026LaFleur confirmed Parsons will practice Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window — his first official football activity since tearing his ACL and meniscus on Dec. 14 of last year.
- Nov 5, 2026LaFleur reacted to a video of quarterback Jordan Love and his wife dressed as blind referees for Halloween, calling it "pretty hilarious" but declining to give his two cents.
- Nov 6, 2026LaFleur shared positive news on center Sean Rhyan's ankle injury — likely not headed to injured reserve, but still expected to miss fewer than four games.
Key terms
- All-Pro
- An honor given to the best professional American football player at each position in a given season, chosen by press organizations.
- injured reserve
- A designation in North American pro sports leagues for athletes who are injured and unable to play.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- LaFleur said the team is aware of the prior allegations against Jacobs and will let the NFL run its process, adding he anticipates Jacobs remaining with the team.
- Caution
- Asked why the Packers weren't cutting ties with Jacobs, LaFleur said the team will "let everything kind of play out," and declined to say whether his support had changed.
- Public
- Jacobs said his touchdown celebration paid homage to the gospel song "Break Every Chain"; he drew social media criticism from people who believed he was simulating being handcuffed.
Still unverified
Whether Parsons would practice this week was first described as not definite — "dependent upon the next couple days" — before LaFleur confirmed it Wednesday. The NFL has not issued a definitive ruling on Jacobs' case, possibly because video of the incident behind his May arrest has not been released and may never be; Jacobs was not fined and could still be suspended.