Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May incident at his home, resolving the criminal case just days before the NFL regular season.
Jacobs appeared in Brown County Circuit Court and entered the pleas under an agreement with prosecutors. He was convicted on the battery charge and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs. On the criminal damage to property charge, the court accepted a deferred judgment agreement: proceedings are suspended for 12 months and the charge will be dismissed if Jacobs meets the conditions. A review hearing is set for Sept. 10, 2027.
The conditions include no further criminal acts, no contact with the victim, supervision through criminal justice services, counseling, and payment of restitution. District Attorney David Lasee did not seek jail time, citing Jacobs’ lack of a prior record. Both charges are Class A misdemeanors that carried a possible maximum of nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine.
“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs told the court. He left without speaking to reporters.
His attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld and Clarence F. Duchac III, said in a statement: “With this agreement, Josh has accepted responsibility for his conduct and resolved this matter.” They noted the resolution against the backdrop of his community work in the NFL. Jacobs’ attorney also said he had already begun counseling voluntarily.
The charges arose from a May 23 disturbance at Jacobs’ home in Hobart. Police responded to a reported argument involving Jacobs and his girlfriend. He was arrested May 26 after turning himself in. The criminal complaint described an altercation in which the woman reported a lump on her head; video from the home was said to corroborate portions of her account, including damage to her phone.
Police initially referred more serious potential charges, including ones with domestic abuse enhancers and strangulation, but the district attorney’s office filed only the two misdemeanors and did not pursue domestic-violence-specific charges under state law.
The NFL placed Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list after charges were filed in late August, keeping him from practicing or playing while allowing him to be paid. An NFL spokesperson said Thursday the matter remains under review of the personal conduct policy and that his status on the exempt list is unchanged.
With the criminal case resolved, the league is expected to decide on discipline, which could include a suspension. The standard penalty referenced in the collective bargaining agreement for similar cases is six games.
Jacobs, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who signed with Green Bay in 2024, rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. The Packers open the season Sunday afternoon in Minnesota.
