Packers Running Back Josh Jacobs Suffers Hand Injury Against Patriots

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was listed as questionable to return during Sunday's game against the New England Patriots after suffering a right hand injury. Before exiting the field, Jacobs recorded four rushes for five yards during the first half of the matchup.

Following the injury, Jacobs spent time moving between the sideline and the locker room while attempting to catch passes on the sidelines. With Jacobs sidelined, the Packers turned to running backs Pierre Strong and Kaleb Johnson to shoulder the load in the backfield, as MarShawn Lloyd remained inactive for the contest.

The injury adds another layer of adversity to a Green Bay rushing attack that has experienced a challenging 2026 NFL season. Jacobs recently returned to the field in Week 7 after serving a six-game suspension on the Commissioner's Exempt List following a battery case.

Ahead of Sunday's game, additional allegations of physical and verbal abuse involving Jacobs surfaced in connection with evidence from his previous legal case. Jacobs' attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III, issued a statement defending the running back against the new claims. "The three accounts are old, are hearsay, and easily disproven, yet released to the media by police without any investigation to determine whether they were accurate or contradicted by evidence," his legal representation stated.

Addressing the public scrutiny, Jacobs expressed frustration over the situation and its impact on his reputation. "It's one of those things for me where it's like, it really feels like an attack on me and who I am and my character," Jacobs said. "And at the end of the day, there's a lot of stuff being said about me that's completely false -- like, completely made up, and it's like people just run with it. And I can't change that."

Despite the off-field distractions and missing the first six games of the season, Jacobs has remained a productive red-zone threat for the Packers, scoring three total touchdowns over his first two games back. Entering Week 9, he accumulated 32 carries for 75 yards alongside 11 receptions for 68 yards.

Analysts note that a potential extended absence for Jacobs could significantly alter the Packers' offensive strategy. Without a fully functioning rushing game, quarterback Jordan Love and wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are expected to shoulder a heavier burden in the passing game as Green Bay navigates a competitive playoff race in the NFC North.