Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was reportedly set to hit the Commissioner's Exempt List ahead of the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Page A5From§Eachthe late evening edition — 30 August 2026
Packers running back lands on exempt list twice in one week, charges included both times
In the annals of professional football, the Commissioner's Exempt List stands as a sort of purgatory for gridiron athletes who find themselves on the wrong side of the law or league rules. This week, Josh Jacobs, the Packers' esteemed running back, was placed on said list not once, but twice, following charges that included misdemeanors and a strangulation arrest. This reporter recalls the storied precedent set in the 1978 season, when the list was merely a sheet of paper taped to the commissioner’s office door. Today, it functions as a revolving door for talent. Jacobs' repeated placements speak to the complexity of maintaining both order and spectacle in a league that prizes its Sunday showdowns above all else. The question rises: is the list a shield for the league, or a sieve for accountability? TRUDY: Gus, it's not the 1978 season, and the list isn't a sheet of paper. Jacobs' placement, per CBS Sports and Fox News, is a procedural move—he can't practice or play while the charges are resolved. The league isn't exempt from criticism, or from the duty to keep its players and fans safe. The real story is that the charges are serious, and the exempt list is a holding pen, not a solution. The numbers don't lie: the league has used this tool more in the last decade than in any prior era, and the public deserves transparency about its purpose and limits.
“They slap the same guy on the same list twice, and the charges just keep coming. That list isn't for keeping players off the field, it's for keeping the league off the hook. The only thing exempt here is accountability.”
“The Commissioner's Exempt List is an important tool for maintaining the integrity of the game. It's not about punishment, it's about due process—wait, did I say 'not about punishment'? Well, it's temporary, and the league takes these matters seriously. Two placements? That just shows our commitment to fairness. Or consistency. Or something.”
The receipts
Green Bay's backfield is facing uncertainty entering Week 1, with Jacobs prohibited from practicing or attending games
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.