Throughout his off-field incident that resulted in a no-contest plea to misdemeanor battery, the Packers have remained steadfast in their support of running back Josh Jacobs.
That may now change.
The continued presence of the Packers as one of the teams that expressed some level of interest in the trade for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor suggests they at least considered the possibility of trading Jacobs for Taylor.
Recent developments have not helped Jacobs’ cause.
More than celebrating the handcuffs Jacobs tried to say is not a celebration of handcuffs (but that video of the entire festival suggests is a festival of handcuffs), the release on Friday of police records indicating that at least three other women that Jacobs has been accused of domestic violence could bear on the team’s apparent decision to keep him.
Throw in the fact that Jacobs averaged 2.3 yards per carry in his two games back from a six-game stint on paid leave — including 1.9 yards per carry against the worst defense in the league entering Thursday night’s game — and it’s possible the Packers will realize Jacobs isn’t good enough to justify a stubborn streak.
Cutting Jacobs would raise the issue of termination pay regarding the balance of his $10.2 million salary, and it would short-circuit the team’s ability to seek a partial payment of signing-bonus money if/when (when) he is ultimately suspended under the Personal Conduct Policy. For now, we will not examine the full extent of the charms of Article 30 of the CBA; at the very least, the Packers will have some potential arguments aimed at cutting off his right to any termination pay.
Even if the Packers were ultimately on the hook for the termination pay, it was a sunk cost. The question is whether they want to keep him in the team, in light of recent developments.
Again, multiple reports from ESPNFL linked them to a trade for Jonathan Taylor. That alone is great evidence that they are considering a future without Jacobs that could start sooner rather than later.