Josh Jacobs expresses remorse for arrest, legal case as he returns to Packers New York Times (Online) Matt Schneidman GREEN BAY, Wis. — In his first extended public comments since his May 26 arrest for an altercation with his then-girlfriend , Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs expressed remorse while also saying that he's not trying to win anybody back because “I know what happened.” “I can't get into a lot of things, like specifics of things, but obviously I'm remorseful and sorry for putting this team in this situation,” Jacobs said Wednesday, appearing to hold back tears. “Sometimes when you go through life, situations occur, and a four-second, three-second decision can alter your life, honestly.” Jacobs initially faced five charges relating to domestic abuse — felony strangulation and suffocation, and four misdemeanors: battery (domestic abuse), criminal damage to property (domestic abuse), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse) and intimidation of a victim. The District Attorney ultimately only charged him with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property (cell phone), which he pleaded no contest to in September. A judge ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine plus costs on the misdemeanor battery charge. The court will suspend the proceeding on the criminal charge for damage to property for 12 months, at which time it will be dismissed upon the completion of the terms of the plea agreement. Jacobs was ordered to avoid contacting the victim, attend counseling and pay restitution to the victim. Jacobs missed the first six games of the season while on the commissioner's exempt list , but he returned to the practice field Wednesday ahead of his likely season debut Sunday against the Detroit Lions. “(I'm) still a human being, still trying to learn (and) grow from the whole process,” Jacobs said. “Going forward, I just try to be better. I know for some people, this might be a stain on me and my character. I feel like I don't have to really speak on my character. … But for me, I'm just trying to come back in here and play ball, learn from this mistake and move forward.” The criminal complaint from the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department said it's in possession of surveillance video from Jacobs' garage that corroborates the victim's claim that Jacobs “grabbed her and threw her to the ground” before she struck her head and suffered an injury. Both Jacobs and the victim have sued the police department to prevent the release of records pertaining to the case. Jacobs joined the victim's attempt to permanently seal records “to protect her privacy, dignity, personal security, emotional well-being, and ability to participate safely in the criminal justice process.” Jacobs also claimed in his suit that the surveillance video from his garage would make him susceptible to theft. The victim's lawyer told ESPN that she isn't speaking with the NFL as part of its investigation due to privacy concerns. Asked Wednesday if he had exchanged payment with the victim beyond what the court ordered, Jacobs said, “Legally, I can't speak on none of that.” The league is still investigating and can suspend Jacobs at any time, which would presumably come after the NFL sees the video, if it ever does. Jacobs has already served six games toward a suspension since games missed on the exempt list count as time served. Jacobs said he wasn't “overly concerned” that he would never play again “because in my heart, I know what happened and what didn't happen, and I'll just trust the legal process.” He thought missing six games was “a lot” and that he'd expected to be back sooner, but added that considering the “optics,” he understands the NFL's decision and isn't angry at the league. Jacobs did address his teammates around the time of the incident. He knew he needed to take accountability for his actions, and he apologized for bringing negative attention to the team. “I know a lot of guys look up to me, a lot of guys come to me about real-life issues and things that go on in their lives,” Jacobs said. “So for me, being that guy for a lot of people, it's weird when you take that fall.” Jacobs said he learned from the situation and was grateful for the support of his teammates. “It was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me. I say that because it gave me a chance to sit down and reevaluate what's important and what I want my life to look like and what do I want people to know me for? … A lot of people I didn't even know or even expect to be in my corner, they showed up. So that was huge for me. It just gave me more appreciation, more love honestly for this organization and this team.” That support was evident in the locker room Wednesday as teammates and coaches reacted to his return. Quarterback Jordan Love said he doesn't think what happened with Jacobs changed how the locker room views him. Coach Matt LaFleur, a believer in second chances, acknowledged that sometimes people get into situations where they might not make the right decisions, and that they learn from their mistakes. “I think he's extremely remorseful, and I do believe that he's a good person,” LaFleur said of Jacobs. “I've been around him quite a bit.” Safety Xavier McKinney, Jacobs' college teammate at Alabama who also signed with the Packers alongside Jacobs in March 2024, called Jacobs a “good dude” whose heart is in the right place. McKinney added that he knows what type of person Jacobs is on a daily basis. “It's all about how you respond,” McKinney said, and that's exactly what Jacobs is focused on as he prepares to rejoin the Packers on the field. “If you feel some type of way — obviously I feel bad because it's still a situation (that) occurred, and it should've never even happened,” Jacobs said. “All I can do is keep showing up and being who I am, being a leader for this team, being a leader in this community, and that's really all I can control.” More to come on the football side of things pertaining to Jacobs later in the week, but for now, he said he has “no idea” if he's playing Sunday in Detroit. “My goal is to play,” Jacobs said. “I don't know how much they're going to allow me to play, honestly, especially with having a walk-through today. I didn't really get too many reps, real reps. I don't know what their mindset is. If it's up to me, I'm going to try to play.”