GREEN BAY – Packers running back Josh Jacobs expressed remorse Wednesday for the legal trouble that led to his extended absence from the field, but he's glad to be back and looking forward to playing again, perhaps as soon as Sunday in Detroit.
A remorseful and visibly emotional Jacobs addressed the media for the first time since a domestic incident in May led to him pleading no contest to two misdemeanor criminal charges. He spent the first six weeks of the season on the commissioner's exempt list and came off that list this week.
"I'm excited to be back with the team, with the guys," Jacobs said. "I want to say thank you to the organization really for supporting me throughout this whole process and how everything played out.
"I'm remorseful and sorry for putting this team in this situation. Sometimes when you go through life, situations occur and a 4-second, 3-second decision can alter your life, honestly …
"I'm just trying to come back in here and play ball, learn from this mistake and move forward."
The NFL's investigation as it relates to the personal conduct policy remains ongoing, and Jacobs' punishment is still to be determined. If a suspension is forthcoming, the six games he missed while on the exempt list would count toward that.
Jacobs did not discuss the specifics of the incident, and he understands those outside the team who have misgivings about his return to football. Back in the spring, he apologized to the team for the ordeal, and several players have voiced support for their teammate.
"A lot of times you get in a situation where you might not make the right decision," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday in discussing Jacobs' return. "I think people learn from their mistakes, and I think he's extremely remorseful and I do believe that he's a good person. I've been around him quite a bit and I just, I believe in second chances."
Jacobs was hoping he wouldn't have to sit out this long, but he's not disputing it with the league. He termed it "weird" to spend the past six weeks going to meetings and doing workouts but being unable to practice or play while his body feels healthy.
"I thought I'd be playing sooner," he said. "But, you know, the optics of everything, I understand the other side. For me, like I said, I'm just grateful to be able to play."
Whether that happens Sunday at Ford Field isn't yet known. The Packers' running game certainly has struggled without Jacobs while dealing with several moving parts on the offensive line as well.
The consensus is the four-time 1,000-yard rusher will provide a boost to the ground game. Just how much or how soon remains to be seen.
"I don't know where we're going to be at this week, or if I'm actually going to play or not," Jacobs said. "All I'm trying to do is get prepared to play if they let me.
"My goal is to play … If it's up to me, I'm going to try to play."
