Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list in August 2026 after he was formally charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property. Jacobs’ attorneys said the designation is an administrative step while the matter is under review, that it is not a final finding, and that he respects the league process and looks forward to returning to the team.
The commissioner exempt list is defined by the league as “a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances,” according to NFL.com. The designation acts as a roster placeholder and prevents a player from counting against a team’s 53-man active roster limit, giving clubs some flexibility while a situation is resolved.
While a player is on the exempt list they are effectively on paid leave and are prohibited from playing. Players may still attend team meetings, participate in workouts and receive treatment at team facilities. Only the NFL commissioner has the authority to place a player on the exempt list and to decide how long the player will remain off the active roster, according to NFL.com.
Jacobs joined Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Terrion Arnold on the list. Cooper was placed on the exempt list after two arrests in a seven-day span in June related to incidents involving his girlfriend; he faces a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation and three misdemeanors, including violating a protection order.
Arnold was placed on the list after being charged with eight felonies tied to an alleged kidnapping and robbery in Tampa, Florida, in February. He turned himself in in June, was released from custody after posting a $1 million bond a day before the Detroit Lions released him, and was later signed by the Seahawks to a one-year, minimum-salary contract. The commissioner exempt list has been used with increasing frequency since 2014, including placements such as Adrian Peterson (a full season in 2014) and other recent examples like Michael Vick, Jonathan Vilma, Greg Hardy, Josh Brown, Reuben Foster, Kareem Hunt and CeeDee Lamb.
