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Packers' Jordan Love Faces Increased Burden With Jacobs on Exempt List and Parsons Out
With Josh Jacobs placed on the commissioner's exempt list and Micah Parsons beginning the season on injured reserve, the Green Bay Packers' offense will lean heavily on quarterback Jordan Love. Analysts and insiders suggest the team's running back depth is unproven, while Love's performance could determine the team's early-season success.
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A Shifting Offensive Landscape
The Green Bay Packers enter the 2025 season with significant changes to their roster. All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons, acquired in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, will begin the season on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after tearing his ACL and damaging his meniscus last season, as reported by Yardbarker. Meanwhile, running back Josh Jacobs has been placed on the commissioner's exempt list following misdemeanor charges, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Jacobs' placement on the exempt list came Aug. 30, three months after his arrest in late May. He was recently charged with two misdemeanors, including battery, and misdemeanor criminal damage to property, according to multiple reports. The NFL's personal conduct policy allows commissioner Roger Goodell to keep Jacobs on the list indefinitely, and the league can suspend him based on its investigation regardless of the legal outcome, as noted by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The Running Back Conundrum
With Jacobs unavailable, the Packers' backfield lacks a proven workhorse. Over the past two seasons, Jacobs averaged 19 touches and 87 yards per game, a load that no current running back can replicate, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. MarShawn Lloyd has talent but a troubling health history, and Kaleb Johnson had just 29 touches in 10 games with the Steelers last season. Chris Brooks is primarily a special-teams and third-down back, not an early-down runner.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, speaking on Monday's edition of "Get Up," echoed concerns about the Packers' running back situation. "(The Packers) are going to have to score points now without a proven running back," Schefter said. "Kaleb Johnson washed out in Pittsburgh. MarShawn Lloyd has never taken a snap at the NFL level due to injuries ... Chris Brooks has run for 395 yards. So you're looking at under 500 yards for the three running backs that are on their roster until, and if and when, Josh Jacobs returns."
Love's Burden and Potential
This situation places the offensive burden squarely on quarterback Jordan Love. As the Green Bay Press-Gazette notes, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and Love is paid $55 million a year to make the offense go. His three years of acclimation as a starter are over; he must produce week in and week out.
Love has the weapons to help. Christian Watson is one of the league's best big-play receivers, ranking second in yards per reception. Matthew Golden had a strong training camp and showed chemistry with Love. Jayden Reed recently received a contract extension, and tight end Tucker Kraft is a top run-after-the-catch threat. However, health concerns abound: Watson has a history of injuries, Reed missed 10 games last season with a broken collarbone, Golden has a slight build, and Kraft is coming off a torn ACL.
Love's career bests came in 2023, when he threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns, and he has led the Packers to the playoffs in each of his three full seasons as starter. However, the team dropped its final five games last season after losing Parsons in Week 14, according to Yardbarker.
Defense Without Parsons
The Packers will also be without their defensive leader for at least the first four games. Parsons, who led the team in sacks and was the league leader in pressures last season, will not suit up, leaving a significant gap on defense. As Yardbarker notes, his absence will be felt, but the bigger immediate concern may be the offense's ability to score without Jacobs.
The Exempt List Precedent
There is precedent for players missing significant time on the exempt list without a conviction. Jabrill Peppers, then with New England, was placed on the exempt list in October 2024 following an alleged assault at his home. He missed seven games while on the list and was allowed back before his case went through the courts; he was eventually acquitted. Peppers' charges were felony battery, whereas Jacobs' are misdemeanors, as reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The exempt list theoretically is not punishment, as the player continues to be paid. However, if Jacobs is later suspended, time on the exempt list counts toward that suspension, and he would have to return his salary from those games. In Peppers' case, he went on the list two days after his arrest; Jacobs went on three months after his, giving the league time to investigate.
Outlook and Reactions
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed cautious optimism about Jacobs' future with the team. "You've gotta let everything play out," LaFleur said, "but I anticipate him being a member of our football team."
Despite the challenges, some see an opportunity for Love to ascend. Micah Parsons, speaking on his "The Edge" podcast, predicted that Love will win the MVP award, throwing for about 40 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. According to DraftKings, Love currently has the 11th-best odds of winning MVP at +2000, with all 10 players ahead of him being quarterbacks.
Love's court date is scheduled for Nov. 17, and with the legal process potentially lengthy, the Packers may have to navigate an extended period without their starting running back. As the Green Bay Press-Gazette notes, there are too many unknowns to say anything definitively, but the league's action suggests there's a good chance Jacobs misses at least six weeks, which is the minimum suspension under the league's domestic violence policy.
Until then, the Packers' fortunes rest on Love's arm and legs, and on a receiving corps that must stay healthy to carry the load.
How each outlet told it
A framing line is our reading of that outlet's own text — an interpretation, not a quotation and not a fact we assert. Check it against what the outlet published.
Framing: The headline emphasizes that the burden of the Packers' offense now falls on quarterback Jordan Love, framing the story around Love's responsibility rather than the specifics of Jacobs' legal situation. — Analytical with a sympathetic leaning toward Love and the team, while also expressing condemnation toward Jacobs if the allegations are true.,
Facts Included:
Josh Jacobs has been placed on the commissioner's exempt list following misdemeanor charges.
Jacobs could miss at least six games, placing a heavier burden on quarterback Jordan Love.
The NFL's personal conduct policy allows the league to suspend Jacobs regardless of the legal outcome.
Jacobs was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list Aug. 30, and the NFL’s personal conduct policy gives commissioner Roger Goodell plenty of latitude to keep him there indefinitely.
The league, after all, has had three months since Jacobs' arrest in late May to investigate the domestic incident involving a woman at his home.
He recently was charged with two misdemeanors, including battery.
The league can do that based on its investigation, regardless of what happens in court or plea deals.
There are too many unknowns to say anything definitively.
But all in all,ethe league's action suggests there’s a good chance the Packers will be without Jacobs for at least six weeks, which is the minimum suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy.
It could be more, depending on what the league has found in its investigation, or what it finds out going forward.
It could be less, too, as the district attorney did not file domestic violence-related charges.
The Packers didn't know this was coming, though they knew it was a possibility.
These decisions by Goodell are always subject to change depending on what does or doesn't come out about the incident.
\"You’ve gotta let everything play out,\" LaFleur said, \"but I anticipate him being a member of our football team.\"
If he did it, it's deplorable.
They don’t have a running back to take up Jacobs' load, which over the past two seasons amounted to an average of 19 touches and 87 yards game.
MarShawn Lloyd has talent, but his troubling health history means the Packers will have to limit his touches.
The running back they just traded for, Kaleb Johnson, had 29 touches in 10 games with the Steelers last season.
Chris Brooks is a special-teams player and third-down blocking back, not an early down runner.
So unless Johnson is an unexpected revelation,ethe Packers’ run game loses horsepower with Jacobs out.
Which in turn puts more on Love and his pass-catching corps to carry the offense.
The NFL is a quarterback-driven league.
Everybody knows that.
When teams take personnel hits, it often falls on the quarterback to make up the difference.
That’s the case here.
Jordan Love, receivers can carry the offensive load.
Love has the experience and upward pointing curve to think he can and should provide it.
Plus, the Packers have the talent in the passing game to help him.
Christian Watson is one of the best big-play receivers in the game.
He ranked second in the NFL in yards per reception.
Matthew Golden had a strong training camp and is a quick-twitch athlete whose chemistry in camp with Love suggests he could lead this team in receptions.
Jayden Reed just got a contract extension for his abilities as a slot receiver.
Tucker Kraft is as good a run-after-the-catch tight end as there is in the league.
The biggest issue with that group is health.
Watson has had more than his share of injuries, Reed missed 10 games last season because of a broken collarbone, Golden has a slight build (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) that may leave him susceptible, and Kraft is coming off a torn ACL.
But as long as they stay healthy, you can’t say Love doesn’t have enough weapons in the passing game.
As crucial as the run game is in LaFleur’s offense, this is a case where the pass game will have to set up the run rather than vice versa.
This is why Love is paid $55 million a year.
He’ll have to find ways with his arm and legs to make this offense go even when it’s missing its top running back.
His three years of acclimation to being an NFL starter are over.
He has to produce week in and week out.
How long will Packers be without Josh Jacobs?
As for how long the Packers can expect to be without Jacobs, there's no knowing for sure.
If you’re looking for a comparison of a player going on the commissioner’s exempt list, it’s Jabrill Peppers.
In October 2024, Peppers, who played for New England at the time, was put on the exempt list becauseof an incident at his home in which he had allegedly assaulted a woman.
Peppers ended up missing seven games while on the list.
He was allowed back on the roster before his case made it through the courts.
He was eventually acquitted of the charges the following offseason, so he was allowed to keep his salary for the games missed.
But he still missed the games.
(It should be noted that Peppers' charges were felony battery and Jacobs' is misdemeanor ).
Jacobs' initial court appearance is in November.
The exempt list theoretically is not considered punishment, because the player continues to be paid.
But it allows the league to in effect suspend a player without it officially being a suspension.
If Jacobs is later suspended for his actions, then his time on the exempt list counts against the suspension, and he’ll have to return his salary from those games.
In Peppers' case, he went on the list two days after he was arrested.
Jacobs, on the other hand, went on the list three months after his arrest.
That means the league has had time to investigateethe matter, at least preliminarily.
The NFL can suspend Jacobs based on its investigation regardless of whether he’s found guilty in court or pleads guilty to lesser charges.
So this could be the start of a de facto suspension that will become official at a later date.
Framing: Emphasizes the focus on quarterback Jordan Love in light of recent setbacks for the Packers
Facts Included:
The Green Bay Packers acquired All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys
Running back Josh Jacobs' second season in Green Bay after posting the sixth-most rushing yards (1,329) and the second-most rushing touchdowns (15) in 2024
Parsons is now set to begin the season on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after tearing his ACL and damaging his meniscus last season
Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list Sunday after being charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property following an alleged altercationin May
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter echoed on Monday's edition of 'Get Up'
Schefter said: '(The Packers) are going to have to score points now without a proven running back'
Kaleb Johnson washed out in Pittsburgh
MarShawn Lloyd has never taken a snap at the NFL level due to injuries, or 15 rushing yards, very little
Chris Brooks has run for 395 yards
So you're looking at under 500 yards for the three running backs that are on their roster until,and if and when, Josh Jacobs returns
In Love's three full-time seasons as the starting QB, the Packers have made the playoffs each time, most recently blowing a 21-3 lead to the Chicago Bears in the 2025 wild-card round
Love's best season statistically came in 2023 when he set career highs in passing yards (4,159) and TDs (32)
He also added 247 yards and four scores on the ground
He has missed two games apiece in the last two seasons due to an MCL sprain (2024) and a concussion (2025)
His 3% completion percentage last season was his highest in any of his three full-time seasons
Green Bay dropped its final five games last season after it lost Parsons in Week 14
Parsons will not suit up for at least the first four games, leaving the defense without its leader in sacks (5) and the league leader in pressures (64) from last season
Although Jacobs took a step back in 2025, he still had 13 rushing TDs
Jacobs is not allowed to play or practice,and the NFL does not have to wait forthe legal process to be completed before issuing discipline
With his court date not scheduled until Nov. 17, Jacobs could face a lengthy absence and put Green Bay in a vulnerable position
Green Bay's gamble on Lloyd will especially be put to the test considering the 88th pick from 2024 has only played 10 career snaps
With only one combined rushing TD between Brooks and the recently acquired Johnson, all eyes will be on Love and this passing attack to fill the void left behind by Jacobs and at least keep this team afloat until Parsons is able to return
AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting that specific claim — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimMicah Parsons will be on injured reserve for the first four games of the 2025 season.
ClaimMicah Parsons is now set to begin the season on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after tearing his ACL and damaging his meniscus last season.
ClaimJosh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list Sunday after being charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property following an alleged altercationin May.
ClaimESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter echoed on Monday's edition of 'Get Up' that the Packers are going to have to score points now without a proven running back.
ClaimThe three running backs on the Packers' roster (Kaleb Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks) have combined for under 500 yards until Josh Jacobs returns.
ClaimIn Jordan Love's three full-time seasons as the starting QB, the Packers have made the playoffs each time, most recently blowing a 21-3 lead to the Chicago Bears in the 2025 wild-card round.
ClaimMicah Parsons will not suit up for at least the first four games, leaving the defense without its leader in sacks (12.5) and the league leader in pressures (64) from last season.
ConfidenceMedium
StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via Yardbarker , Heavy.
ClaimAlthough Josh Jacobs took a step back in 2025, he still had 13 rushing TDs.
ClaimThere’s a good chance the Packers will be without Josh Jacobs for at least six weeks, which is the minimum suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy.
ClaimThe Packers don’t have a running back to take up Josh Jacobs' load, which over the past two seasons amounted to an average of 19 touches and 87 yards game.
ClaimMatthew Golden had a strong training camp and is a quick-twitch athlete whose chemistry in camp with Jordan Love suggests he could lead this team in receptions.
ClaimChristian Watson has had more than his share of injuries, Reed missed 10 games last season because of a broken collarbone, Golden has a slight build (5-foot-11, 191 pounds)that may leave him susceptible,and Kraft is coming off a torn ACL.
ClaimIn Jabrill Peppers' case, he went on the list two days after he was arrested, whereas Jacobs, on the other hand, went on the list three months after his arrest.