Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is facing five criminal charges, including strangulation and suffocation, after police responded to a disturbance complaint involving him on Saturday morning.
Hobart/Lawrence (Wisconsin) Police Chief Michael Renkas confirmed that Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday and booked into Brown County Jail. The charges include strangulation and suffocation (a felony), battery-domestic abuse, criminal damage to property-domestic abuse, disorderly conduct-domestic abuse, and intimidation of a victim (all misdemeanors).
Renkas stated that police were dispatched to a complaint involving Jacobs on Saturday at 8:37 am. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” he said. “No further information will be released at this time.”
Jacobs’ lawyers — David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld, and Clarence Duchac — issued a joint statement on his behalf. “Josh vehemently denies the allegations, and this matter is in the early stages of investigation with important evidence that has not yet been made public,” they said. “We ask for fairness and restraint while the judicial process takes its course.”
Jacobs is the Packers’ top returning rusher after running for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. That followed a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection. He is the only player on Green Bay's roster who rushed for as many as 200 yards last season. Emanuel Wilson, the Packers' second-leading rusher, signed with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason.
The Packers began organized team activities on Tuesday, and coach Matt LaFleur had a scheduled availability with reporters on Wednesday. “We are aware of the matter involving Josh Jacobs,” a Packers spokesman said. “As it is an ongoing legal situation, we will withhold further comment.” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy added that “we are aware of the report and have been in contact with the club.”
Jacobs spent his first five seasons with the Raiders. He earned All-Pro honors and led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards in 2022. In his seven-year career, he has rushed for 7,803 yards and 74 touchdowns. The only active players with more career touchdown runs are Baltimore's Derrick Henry (122) and Buffalo's Josh Allen (79).
