JOSH JACOBS IS BACK: SIX GAMES LATER, BROTHER HAS SERVED HIS FOOTBALL SENTENCE

Listen… Josh Jacobs is back.

After sitting out the first six games of the season while on the NFL's commissioner's exempt list, Jacobs is finally eligible to return Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Whether he actually plays and how many carries he gets remains to be seen, but I'll tell you one thing. The Green Bay Packers desperately need him.

Because Green Bay's running game without Josh Jacobs has looked like somebody forgot to put the batteries in the remote.

LAST IN THE NFL. Just 59.8 rushing yards a game.

That ain't a running game. That's a cardio class.

The Packers have been out there trying to run the football like they're pushing a broken shopping cart through Walmart. And now Jacobs is back in the building, probably looking around like, "Alright fellas, y'all can relax. Daddy's home."

And I'm not even gonna lie, I KNOW that man was watching these games thinking, "OH, SO NOW Y'ALL NEED ME?"

Imagine being Josh Jacobs, sitting at home watching Green Bay struggle to get 60 rushing yards a game. You're probably thinking, "Man… if I was out there, I'd have at least gotten us 62 yards myself."

And that's why his return could be huge for Green Bay.

Jacobs has been one of the better running backs in football over the last two seasons. In 2024 and 2025, he rushed for a combined 2,258 yards and 28 touchdowns. So this isn't some guy coming back who might help a little bit. This is their starting running back, a three-time Pro Bowler, walking back through the door.

But before we get too excited about what Jacobs can do on the football field, we have to talk about why he was gone in the first place.

Jacobs pleaded no contest in September to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May incident involving his then-girlfriend. According to police, the woman reported that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground, causing her to hit her head.

He was fined $1,000 plus court costs on the battery conviction and reached a deferred judgment agreement on the property damage charge. That charge can be dismissed after a year if he meets certain conditions, including counseling, supervision and restitution.

So this isn't something where everybody should just say, "Oh well, forget about it."

No. There are consequences, and there should be accountability.

Jacobs spoke to reporters Wednesday and expressed remorse for putting the Packers in this situation. He talked about how a decision that takes just three or four seconds can change your life. He also explained that the time away gave him an opportunity to reevaluate his life, think about what matters and consider what he wants people to remember him for.

And THAT is a serious lesson.

Because one bad decision can have consequences way bigger than you ever expected. I respect the fact that Jacobs publicly acknowledged his mistakes, but taking responsibility isn't just about what you say in front of a microphone. It's about what you do afterward.

Do you learn? Do you change? Do you make sure you never put yourself or somebody else in that situation again? Or do you walk around acting like everybody else is the problem?

Jacobs says he's trying to learn and grow from this experience. Now he has to back those words up with his actions.

Matt LaFleur has stood by his running back, saying he believes Jacobs is a good person and that people deserve second chances. And I understand that. People can learn from their mistakes, but a second chance doesn't mean what happened should be forgotten.

And this situation isn't necessarily over, either.

The NFL investigation remains open, meaning Jacobs could still face additional discipline even though he's been removed from the commissioner's exempt list. So while his return to the team is good news for Green Bay's offense, there are still questions surrounding his future.

Now, let's get back to the football part.

Because brother has been watching the Packers struggle to move the ball on the ground for six straight games, and Jordan Love could certainly use some help.

Green Bay has managed to win games without Jacobs, but that running game has been downright ugly. They're averaging just 2.9 yards per carry, and defenses know they haven't been able to establish anything consistently on the ground.

That's a problem.

Because when you can't run the football, every defense is going to sit back and say, "Jordan, you got it. Go ahead and throw it 50 times."

And that's not a recipe for success.

Now, I'm not saying Jacobs is going to walk onto the field Sunday and immediately fix everything. The offensive line still has to do its job, and Jacobs hasn't played in a regular-season game all year. He only returned to full practice this week after being away from football activities since the preseason.

So don't expect him to come out looking like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Derrick Henry had a baby.

Let the man get his legs underneath him.

But if LaFleur decides he's ready to play, my approach would be pretty simple. Give that man the football. Let him knock some of the rust off. Get him involved early and let him start building a rhythm.

You don't need Jacobs to carry the entire offense on his back in his first game. You need him to give opposing defenses something to think about besides Jordan Love dropping back to pass.

And that's what makes Sunday's matchup against Detroit so interesting.

Can Jacobs immediately bring back some of the physical running game Green Bay has been missing? How many touches can he realistically handle? Can he stay healthy after such a long layoff?

And most importantly, CAN THIS MAN SAVE THE PACKERS' RUNNING GAME BEFORE JORDAN LOVE STARTS THROWING THE FOOTBALL 47 TIMES A GAME?

Because 59.8 rushing yards per game?

That's disgusting.

That's not Green Bay Packers football. That's Green Bay Packers cardio.

So welcome back, Josh Jacobs. Learn from what happened, keep growing and keep moving forward. What happened off the field is serious, and the responsibility that comes with it doesn't disappear just because you're back in uniform.

But when it comes to football, brother, THE PACKERS NEED YOU.

Because 59.8 rushing yards a game isn't a running game.

That's a cry for help.

And if Jacobs gets the green light Sunday, we're about to find out whether he's the answer or whether the Packers are about to make Detroit's defense look like they just won the lottery.