After a monstrous game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Green Bay Packers may be left without star running back Josh Jacobs. Jacobs, who’s still battling illness along with a calf injury, is listed as a game-time decision. With RB MarShawn Lloyd already on the injured reserve, head coach Matt LaFleur is stuck taking a step back to analyze this Packers running back room.
Adam Schefter Confirms Packers RB Emanuel Wilson Would Start, Should Josh Jacobs Be Ruled Out
In a post on social media, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke down Jacobs’ injuries/illness as he’s a “true game-time decision.” Last week, Jacobs threw up on the sideline but powered through his illness with a pair of touchdowns. Coming off the bye, it marked back-to-back two-touchdown games for Jacobs.
Packers RB Josh Jacobs, listed as questionable for Sunday due to illness and a calf injury, is now being considered a “true game-time decision” for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Cardinals, per source. The team says it does not expect to know whether he can play until Sunday. If Jacobs… pic.twitter.com/WRRmRYxlLl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2025
Through five games, Jacobs already has six touchdowns. He has four of those six in his last two games, where he’s picked up 179 of his 359 rushing yards. Quarterback Jordan Love is targeting Jacobs more than he ever has before, as the 27-year-old has 128 receiving yards in the past two weeks combined.
That said, LaFleur and Love may be stuck making a new game plan. Schefter wrote, “Packers RB Josh Jacobs, listed as questionable for Sunday due to illness and a calf injury, is now being considered a “true game-time decision” for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Cardinals, per source.”
“The team says it does not expect to know whether he can play until Sunday. If Jacobs is unable to play, Packers RB Emanuel Wilson would be the expected starter,” he added. Wilson is currently listed as RB2 on the depth chart, according to ESPN. Behind him is 25-year-old Chris Brooks.
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For what it’s worth, Wilson has been with Green Bay since 2023. He has 135 career carries for 671 yards, with the vast majority of those coming last season. Wilson, in his third season, saw all four of his touchdowns come in 2024. So far this season, he’s had just 18 carries for 84 yards.
Seeing as Jacobs carries a B- grade in PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, the Packers losing their starting RB would be a huge blow. Love has been fantastic, but Green Bay has done everything in their power to make sure he doesn’t have to throw the ball 40 times a game. Arizona doesn’t have the best defense in the league, but Wilson getting a last-minute start would still present numerous challenges.
Green Bay knows their opponent next week, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have a few extra days to prepare. Ex-Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns on Thursday Night Football, but his team fell to 4-2. A win for Green Bay against the Cardinals would see their record improve to 4-1-1.
