Packers RB Josh Jacobs' lawyers push back on new abuse claims

Josh Jacobs' legal team released a statement Sunday afternoon to address new domestic abuse allegations that surfaced in a police case file. The attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III, argued that the newly public details are a form of character assassination that unfairly endangers the Green Bay Packers running back's career.

The lawyers admitted the release is threatening but described the three underlying accounts as old, hearsay, and easily disproven. They noted that the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department released these summaries to the media without conducting a thorough investigation to verify their accuracy or check them against existing evidence.

The NFL is currently reviewing these previously unreported claims. This review follows an ongoing investigation into a May 23 incident in Green Bay involving Jacobs and an ex-girlfriend. Jacobs pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property related to that event. He was convicted of the battery charge in September and sat on the commissioner's exempt list for six games this season.

Jacobs has since returned to the Packers' active roster. The team is reportedly in contact with the Indianapolis Colts about trading for Jonathan Taylor, a move that would be unlikely if the Packers expected to keep Jacobs. This context frames the legal statement as a defense of the player's long-term value to the franchise.

The attorneys detailed their response to each of the three claims in the police file. They stated that one woman submitted a claim to the NFL, which reviewed it and decided no action was warranted. Jacobs' team possesses tangible evidence supporting their account, which they argue was not included in or sought by the police report.

Regarding a second claim made in 2021, the lawyers said Jacobs had called Las Vegas police to his home to report the woman for misconduct. A police report written that day undermined her claims, and no further action was taken after she left his residence.

The third claim, dated January 2022, alleged that Jacobs slapped, threw, spit on, and grabbed the throat of a woman who stayed at his home in Las Vegas. Jacobs' team denied any physical altercation. They pointed out that another person was present during part of the stay and that the woman left the next evening in a ride she ordered herself. The attorneys noted that the ride receipt in the police file supports Jacobs' timeline.

In two games since returning to the 5-3 Packers, Jacobs has rushed 32 times for 75 yards and a touchdown. He has also caught 11 passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns. His most recent touchdown celebration in a 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers drew scrutiny, though he said the gesture was inspired by a gospel song.