Josh Jacobs scored twice in the Green Bay Packers’ 27 to 19 win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, Oct. 29. Less than a day later, police in Hobart, Wisconsin, released records showing three more women had accused the running back of physical abuse. The files were released Friday night, Oct. 30, in response to a public records request first reported by NBC 26 in Green Bay. They include body and dash camera video of his May arrest. Jacobs has not commented on the new allegations, and none of them has led to charges.
Those 24 hours started with a celebration that already had people talking.
What did Josh Jacobs’ touchdown celebration mean?
After a 1 yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Josh Jacobs put his hands behind his back. The Prime Video broadcast cut away quickly, and plenty of viewers saw handcuffs. Josh Jacobs pushed back after the game. He said he and wide receiver Savion Williams had planned the moment as a tribute to Break Every Chain, the gospel song made famous by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Longer video posted on X shows Williams appearing to unlock Jacobs’ wrists before Jacobs breaks free.
Anybody raised in a Black church knows that song. It is not a victory lap. It is a Sunday morning plea for deliverance, usually sung with eyes closed and hands raised. The full clip backs up Jacobs’ explanation. It also landed in the middle of a story about chains that are nowhere near broken.
What do the new Josh Jacobs records show?
According to the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department file, three women contacted investigators in June and July, while police were looking into the May incident that led to his arrest.
One woman said that in January 2022 Jacobs slapped her, grabbed her by the hair, pinned her down, spit on her and threatened to kill her. She said she never reported it because she stayed friends with him and feared no one would believe her. She told police she came forward partly so the woman in the May case would be believed.
A second woman said Jacobs pushed her against a wall during an argument in April 2021. She called police at the time, but the responding officers recorded no visible injuries. She said the case was not treated as domestic because the two were not dating.
A third woman said Jacobs dragged her and scratched her chest in May 2022. She told police she stayed silent because she was not a U.S. citizen at the time, and he had told her she could be deported.
Where does Jacobs’ criminal case stand?
Jacobs was arrested May 26, three days after his then girlfriend told police he pinned her down and covered her mouth and nose inside his home, then threw her to the ground in the garage. Prosecutors charged two misdemeanors, and on Sept. 10 he pleaded no contest to battery and criminal damage to property. His lawyers have said he accepted responsibility, and Jacobs said this month that he was remorseful.
Before Friday’s release, Josh Jacobs and the woman from the May case had each filed lawsuits on Oct. 14 seeking to keep the police records private.
Will the NFL suspend Josh Jacobs?
Nobody can answer that yet. The league placed Josh Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list in August, and he missed the first six games. He has played the last two and scored three touchdowns. The NFL investigation remains open, and reports in September said the league wanted to see security video from inside his home before deciding on discipline.
The Packers have stood by him. Now the league has three new accounts on its desk, and fans are weighing the box score against the police file. One gospel song suddenly means something different depending on who is listening.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available around the clock at thehotline.org.
