Josh Jacobs has not played for the Packers this year. He remains on the NFL’s commissioner-exempt list while the league waits on a video it wants to see. Now, with a lawsuit filed to keep that evidence out of reach, former NFLer T.J. Houshmandzadeh doesn’t believe Jacobs will get to play.
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“Nah, I don’t think he’ll play,” T.J. Houshmandzadeh said on Speakeasy. “There are too many women in the National Football League that work in New York. There are too many women that have advanced professionally where they are that they’re going to see that video.
“… If not, they probably have already seen the video. And I’ll say this, because if they let him play this year and they’ve seen the video, somebody’s gonna be pissed off that he’s played, and they’re gonna say something, and then we’re gonna see the video. And now you’re gonna get all the backlash that comes with it. And so, if he does not play this year, that will, to me, tell me the video was seen, and this was his year’s suspension. And he’ll just pick it back up with the Packers.”
Jacobs was arrested in May after an alleged physical altercation with his partner. The latter claimed in the criminal complaint that during the fight, she was thrown on to the ground, which caused her to hit her head and suffer an injury.
Formal charges didn’t arrive until late August, when he was charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. Police added that the garage has a surveillance camera, which has footage, but there is none from within the house. Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the NFL is trying to source the footage gathered.
In September, Jacobs pleaded no contest in Brown County court. He was convicted on the battery charge and fined $1,000, while the court accepted a deferred judgment agreement on the property damage charge.
In court, he said, “I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility.”
Many news houses had submitted an open records request to access the content related to the Josh Jacobs case, and the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department said “certain records” could be released. The court had denied a request by the victim to have evidence permanently sealed.
Josh Jacobs has filed for a permanent injunction, protective order, and order restricting access to these records. His attorneys say even redacted records could expose the victim’s identity, per WTMJ.
The stakes go beyond privacy. If Jacobs can’t keep the evidence sealed, the NFL could get its hands on the video, and that footage may shape how long and how severe his punishment turns out to be. A suspension could very well be on the cards.
The NFL has not ruled on Jacobs yet. If the league does suspend him, the games he’s already missed while on the exempt list will count in the number of games he is supposed to be away.
Jacobs’ absence is a blow to the Packers. Head coach Matt LaFleur said recently that he had no updates on the RB’s case, and that the matter was out of his hands. He had been a solid contributor for the Packers, rushing for 2,258 yards and 28 touchdowns in the past two years.
So far, the Packers have only tallied 302 rushing yards so far, the least in the league. Marshawn Lloyd leads the RB room with only 112 yards on the board for the Packers.
Given how much the video matters, the NFL will likely wait for the civil suit to play out before deciding anything about Jacobs’ future.