Josh Jacobs will not be on the field with the Green Bay Packers, but one former Pro Bowler’s reaction to the allegations behind his uncertain status went well beyond football.
The NFL placed Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on Sunday, barring him from practices and games while the league reviews his case. Three days earlier, Brown County prosecutors charged him with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property stemming from a May 23 confrontation with his girlfriend. Jacobs is presumed innocent.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh Sends Direct Message After Jacobs Allegations
After the NFL’s exempt-list decision, former Cincinnati Bengals wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh addressed the underlying allegations during a segment on “Speakeasy.”
“Yeah, it’s a bad look for sure,” Houshmandzadeh said. “Anytime you put your hands on a woman, terrible. It’s a bad look.”
Houshmandzadeh initially speculated about what may have led to the dispute, while explicitly acknowledging that he was making an assumption. He then moved away from guessing about the relationship and made a broader point about walking away when trust has deteriorated.
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“If you got to go through the phone, just leave,” Houshmandzadeh said.
The criminal complaint presents a different account of the phone dispute than Houshmandzadeh’s assumption does. According to prosecutors, the woman told police she became upset after finding messages to other women on Jacobs’ phone.
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The complaint alleges Jacobs later took her phone, followed her into the garage as she tried to leave, grabbed her, and threw her to the ground, causing her to hit her head. Prosecutors say surveillance video corroborated portions of her account.
Houshmandzadeh Says Men Need to Walk Away
Houshmandzadeh’s strongest message came near the end of the discussion, when he brought up his own family.
“I wish her nothing but the best. I wish him nothing but the best,” Houshmandzadeh said. “But as men, and I’ve said this on this show, I have three daughters. We got to keep our hands off these women.”
“You may get angry, but you have to have enough restraint yourself to just walk away,” Houshmandzadeh added.
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The legal process remains unresolved. District Attorney David Lasee stressed that the criminal complaint is only a formal accusation and “does not raise any inference of guilt.” Jacobs’ initial court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 17.
The exempt list is administrative, not a suspension. Jacobs will continue to be paid but cannot practice or attend games while he remains on it.
Green Bay also acquired running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, adding depth behind MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks.
Jacobs’ lawyers said the designation “is not a final determination” and that he looks forward to returning to the Packers.
Houshmandzadeh’s message was simpler than any roster calculation. Whatever happens with the case or Jacobs’ playing status, he argued that the answer when a relationship reaches that level of anger is to walk away before it becomes physical.
