It hasn't always been pretty, but Jordan Love has managed to keep the Green Bay Packers offense afloat more or less by himself to start the 2026 season, completing 60 percent of his passes at a healthy 7.5 yards per attempt with 11 touchdowns to four picks. Just imagine what he could do with a functional running game?
It doesn't seem like we'll have to wonder any longer, as Green Bay looks set to bring back starting running back Josh Jacobs for his season debut in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. Jacobs spent the first six weeks of the year on the Commissioner's Exempt List after disturbing domestic violence allegations over the offseason. That legal process is still playing itself out, but the league and the Packers have apparently seen enough to let him take the field again — and it seems as though he'll go right back to being the workhorse in Green Bay.
Is Josh Jacobs playing today? What Packers are saying about RB1's role in Week 7
Now that he's been removed from the Exempt List, Jacobs is eligible to return to game action. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that he'd been officially activated. And according to the latest from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo on Sunday morning, the Packers aren't exactly planning on easing him back in.
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff with @RapSheet on a frustrating week for #Chiefs LT Josh Simmons, the #Rams’ confidence Puka Nacua will play, Baker Mayfield’s return for the #Buccaneers and Lamar Jackson on the verge of a return, just not today. pic.twitter.com/FsVUHeIPJu
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 25, 2026
Garafolo reports that Green Bay plans to give Jacobs his "normal allotment of reps", despite the fact that he hasn't played in a game of any kind since last January's playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. Jacobs has been among the NFL's most reliable workhorses with the Packers, and it remains to be seen whether he can physically handle 20-plus touches right off the bat. But one look at the options behind him reveals why Matt LaFleur will want to give him as much work as his body will allow.
Packers running back depth chart behind Josh Jacobs points to heavy wokload
It's hard to overstate just how ineffective the Packers' ground game has been in Jacobs' absence.
Role | Player |
|---|---|
RB1 | Josh Jacobs |
RB2 | MarShawn Lloyd |
RB3 | Pierre Strong Jr. |
RB4 | Kaleb Johnson |
MarShawn Lloyd leads the team in carries with 48, but he's averaging just 2.5 yards on those attempts. Kaleb Johnson (3.7) and Pierre Strong Jr. (2.2) haven't been much better. Lloyd is a former third-round pick who's had a miserable time staying healthy in the NFL. Strong Jr. is on his third team in four years, while Johnson struggled so much in Pittsburgh that the Steelers gave up on him after a little over a year.
Is handing Jacobs the lion's share of carries right off the bat the most prudent course of action? Probably not. But in a crucial divisional game against Detroit, LaFleur might not have any other choice, and that makes Jacobs a very intriguing fantasy play in Week 7.
What to expect from Josh Jacobs in fantasy football for Week 7
It's probably a bit too early to vault Jacobs back into the RB1 ranks, at least until we see how he looks after such a long layoff. But if you've held on to him for this long, you're certainly starting him against a suspect Lions defense in a game that should feature plenty of points.
Jacobs' production took a step back last season from an efficiency standpoint, but he still saw 270 touches in just 15 games. He's earned LaFleur's trust, and that figures to be the case again this year given how little Green Bay has behind him. Jacobs doesn't have to look like his old self to be a great bet to find the end zone on Sunday, and volume alone makes him a very viable RB2 candidate.
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