Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner exempt list Sunday.
The move comes three days after Jacobs was formally charged with two misdemeanors stemming from an alleged incident with a woman in May.
It means Jacobs will not be on the Packers' 53-man roster and cannot practice or attend games. He will be paid and, with the team's permission, is allowed to be at the facility for meetings, individual workouts, medical treatments and other non-football activities.
The NFL has said it is still reviewing Jacobs' case. His initial court appearance is Nov. 17, but the league does not have to wait for the legal process to be completed before issuing discipline. Jacobs was charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property.
In a statement, Jacobs' attorneys David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld and Clarence F. Duchac III said: "Josh Jacobs has been placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List, which is an administrative procedure used by the NFL while a matter is being reviewed. It is not a final determination. Josh respects the NFL process, the Packers, and his Coaches and Teammates. He looks forward to his return to the team and the NFL."
According to article 46, section 5 of the collective bargaining agreement, time spent on the commissioner exempt list is credited toward any suspension that is later imposed provided that the player "return and shall have no further right to any salary for the games for which he was paid while on the commissioner exempt list that were credited to the suspension (i.e., for a number of games no greater than the length of the suspension)."
The Packers also will be starting the season without pass rusher Micah Parsons, who will officially start the season on the physically unable to perform list. He'll miss at least the first four games because of the designation. Parsons, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL/meniscus injury suffered last year, has said that a return by Week 6 when the Packers play the Dallas Cowboys, his former team, is "realistic."
Because of the uncertainty around Jacobs, the Packers acquired running back Kaleb Johnson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
The Steelers drafted Johnson at No. 83 last year, but the Iowa product rushed for only 69 yards on 28 carries in 10 games as a rookie.
Behind Jacobs, the Packers have MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks. The Packers are optimistic that Lloyd can finally contribute after injuries ruined his first two NFL seasons. The 2024 third-round pick has played in just one career game. Brooks has been a third-down blocking back and is also expected to make the team. With the trade for Johnson, Pierre Strong Jr. will not make the Packers' 53-man roster despite a strong preseason.
Johnson never found his footing in Pittsburgh. His most notable moment was a special teams gaffe when he let a live ball bounce past him on a kickoff. Instead of recovering the ball, which landed in the landing zone, Johnson let the ball bounce into the end zone, where Seattle recovered it for a touchdown in the Seahawks' Week 2 win.
From there, Johnson lost his spot as a returner, and he played just 62 snaps the rest of the season.
Despite a fresh start with a new coaching staff, Johnson didn't make much headway in the offseason. Not only did he have Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle solidly ahead of him on the depth chart, but former undrafted free agent Lew Nichols often got snaps ahead of Johnson in camp too. The Steelers also added running back Travis Homer, a special teams ace, to the depth chart in the offseason.
Also Sunday, the Packers acquired tight end Mark Redman from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2028 seventh-round pick. Green Bay has been searching for depth behind starter Tucker Kraft, who is coming off ACL surgery. With Luke Musgrave on the PUP list with a neck injury, the team also signed veteran Jonnu Smith last week.
ESPN's Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.