Running back Josh Jacobs has been a focal point of the Green Bay Packers’ offense since he signed with them two years ago. Following some disturbing off-the-field allegations, Jacobs’ status with the team is uncertain. A couple of key numbers shed light on just how significant any absence of his could be.
Despite missing two games and parts of a couple others last year, Josh Jacobs still accounted for over 50% of Green Bay’s total rushing attempts. The year prior, his first with the Packers, that number was nearly 58%.
Jacobs eclipsed 300 rushes in 2024 for just the second time in his career, and his 301 carries that year ranked sixth in the NFL. Even with missing time last year, Jacobs still sat in the top half of the league for rushing attempts by running backs.
Some of the deeper numbers, and one in particular, show how Jacobs has masked some of Green Bay’s problems up front.
In his two years with the Packers — two years where the offensive line has had some uncharacteristic struggles — Jacobs has accumulated 78% of his rushing yards after contact. For perspective, consider this: In 2024, 78.2% of Jacobs’ rushing yards came after contact. The second-highest mark in the league that year came from the Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson at 63.2%. The key factor was Jacobs’ brute strength.
Jacobs hasn’t been a rotational back for Green Bay, although Matt LaFleur favored one-two RB combinations early in his tenure. Tag-team duos with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams were a regular occurrence before it shifted to Jones and AJ Dillon. Perhaps that is still LaFleur’s masterplan. However, MarShawn Lloyd‘s myriad injuries have disrupted it. As a result, Jacobs has been a true bell-cow back.
When Jordan Love went down late in the season opener in Brazil in 2024, Jacobs rushed the ball 32 times for 151 yards the following week against Indianapolis. That year Jacobs had 25 or more carries in three more games. That workload was lessened just a bit in 2025, but Jacobs still had eight games with at least 20 total touches.
Running backs coach Ben Sirmans has consistently praised Jacobs’ toughness and durability.
The guy is a dawg, not just the way he carries the ball, but also just his presence. Being around really good running backs, they have a presence about them on the field that kind of permeates throughout the team through their game play as well as when they’re in the locker room. Because besides the quarterback, you’re touching the ball probably more than anybody else out there, so you can affect the emotions of the team more than anybody else. He’s been everything that we would hope for and definitely the engine for us offensively.
Last offseason, the Packers signed Aaron Banks in free agency. That wasn’t a smashing success in Year 1, but there’s still optimism the move will pay off. Banks noted shortly after his signing with Green Bay became official that a big reason he came to the Packers was to have the opportunity to block for Jacobs.
“Just watching him on tape, the way he can create in his runs and how physical and downhill he is,” Banks said. “I think that the running back plays a big part in the success of the run game – not just O-line but the two together. So, yeah, I was excited to get to block for him.”
Jacobs’ absence for any significant stretch in 2026 could be fatal to Green Bay’s offensive rhythm. It’s hard to sugarcoat this. Had Jacobs’ off-field issues arisen before free agency or the draft, Green Bay would’ve put a contingency plan in place. They don’t have that luxury now, and as a result, any missed time in 2026 for Josh Jacobs could be devastating to Green Bay’s offense.
