NFL reportedly requested video of Josh Jacobs incident with running back still on commissioner's exempt list
Content warning: The following article contains depictions of alleged domestic violence.
The NFL has reportedly filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain footage of Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs' alleged assault, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
On Thursday, a judge denied the victim's request to permanently seal the video, opening the door for the NFL to request the footage. That could take weeks, per Rapoport.
From @NFLGameDay Morning: The NFL has officially requested to view the video of the Josh Jacobs incident, while the #Packers RB remains on the exempt list. pic.twitter.com/X9MFHPfXI8
- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 27, 2026
Jacobs, 28, has been on the commissioner's exempt list since Aug. 30. While on that list, Jacobs is unable to practice or play for the team, though he is still being paid. He's missed the team's first two games of the regular season so far.
With Jacobs unable to play, the running back was able to resolve his legal situation sooner than expected. On Sept. 10, Jacobs pleaded no contest to battery and criminal damage to property. As a result of that plea, Jacobs was also fined $1,000. He was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim and undergo counseling.
With that situation resolved, the door was open for the NFL to hand down an official punishment. That's typically the way the league has operated with its investigations, often waiting until the full legal process plays out before issuing its own punishment.
In this instance, however, the NFL would reportedly like to view footage of the incident before making its call. When Jacobs was arrested in May, reports suggested surveillance footage showed the running back throwing his girlfriend to the ground, then taking her phone.
If the NFL is able to obtain that footage, the league would - presumably - view it and factor that into any possible punishment for Jacobs. It's worth noting, however, that every week Jacobs spends on the commissioner's exempt list counts as time served. Despite not technically being suspended yet, Jacobs has already served two weeks of a potential suspension, should the NFL eventually hand one down.
With its request, the NFL is hoping to avoid another Ray Rice situation. In 2014, Rice was arrested and charged with assault after getting into a physical altercation with his girlfriend.
Rice was initially suspended by the NFL for two games for the incident. Then, video of the assault leaked.
The video, which showed Rice punching his then-girlfriend in the face and dragging her out of a casino elevator, resulted in the NFL suspending Rice indefinitely. The league received heavy criticism for its initial response to Rice's situation, causing commissioner Roger Goodell to eventually admit he "didn't get it right."
That August, Goodell increased future punishments for future domestic-violence situations, announcing players would be subject to a suspension of at least six games for their first offense.