Packers OTA Recap: Josh Jacobs Returns and Rookies Continue to Rise
Takeaways from coverage around today's OTA practice.
By PackerAaron
The biggest development at today's OTA practice was the return of Josh Jacobs, despite the ongoing Brown County investigation related to a domestic abuse case. Speaking before practice, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur indicated it was "business as usual" regarding Jacobs' on-field participation.
The offensive backfield got a lift not only with the return of Jacobs but also a few other running backs. After being limited to Chris Brooks, Pierre Strong Jr. and Jaden Nixon during team drills last week, Green Bay welcomed MarShawn Lloyd and rookie Damien Martinez back into the rotation during team sessions.
The Packers also continue to give their rookie class plenty of opportunities to make an early impression. Fifth-round pick Jager Burton stepped into a prominent role along the offensive line, filling the vacancy at guard created when Anthony Belton kicked outside to right tackle with Zach Tom still recovering from patellar tendon surgery.
Defensively, Green Bay experimented with some intriguing personnel packages. Rookie defensive lineman Chris McClellan worked with the first-team defense at nose tackle while Devonte Wyatt remains sidelined with an ankle injury. The Packers also showed a 5-1 front featuring Edgerrin Cooper opposite Lukas Van Ness. First-round pick Brandon Cisse continued to see significant work alongside the starters, rotating at outside corner opposite Keisean Nixon.
Elsewhere, Bo Melton is firmly back on offense after briefly being listed as a cornerback, while Jakobie Keeney-James picked up additional receiver reps with Skyy Moore unavailable.
The only rough spot came in the kicking game. Rookie Trey Smack connected on just 5-of-9 field goal attempts after going 7-of-8 during last week's open practice. (Having been out at Ray Nitschke Field when the crosswind is crazy, as it apparently was today, I'd caution being too concerned about this...for now. What's key is how Smack responds, hopefully learns from it and shows improvement if and when the same conditions arise later this summer.)
One other note from LaFleur's pre=practice presser: The Packers will hold only one joint practice this summer (when his brother and the Cardinals come to town) which could potentially open the door for starters to see some extended action during the preseason.
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Comments (11)
golfpacker61
June 02, 2026 at 05:04 pm
Wow that is surprising for GB to allow him back on the field. If the Packers are not careful they will have a nightmare on their hands. This will not set well with a lot a fans.
Guam
June 03, 2026 at 07:02 am
Let's wait until charges are filed before we decide the Packers have a nightmare on their hands. An arrest is a requirement of the domestic violence law mostly to insure the parties are separated and there is no continuation of the immediate problem. An arrest does not guarantee a charge will be filed and in fact about two-thirds of domestic violence arrests in Wisconsin never have charges filed.
Patience and due process will sit best with a lot of fans, not a rush to judgement.
dobber
June 03, 2026 at 08:06 am
I agree. I said before that I thought he might have played his last game in GB--mostly because the league doesn't like to deal with the spectre of domestic violence in the public eye. Things have played out a little differently since that time. It's starting to feel like there's not much that's going to come of this.
If he wasn't arrested at the scene and hasn't been charged, yet, denying him the ability to meet the off-season/workout parts of his contract is a bad play in front of the rest of the team. If he's actually charged--which seems less and less likely--then things pivot pretty hard.
golfpacker61
June 03, 2026 at 09:03 am
I didn't say Jacobs was guilty, did I guys? What I said is that GB is walking a very thin line with the Jacobs situation. And bringing him to camp is akin to burying your head in the sand, saying if I can't see it, there must be nothing there. The pictures from yesterday make it seem like everything is just perfect. Most fans have a skewed perspective on the players/heroes on their favorite teams and will give them a pass for almost anything.
Even though actual charges haven't been filed, this is serious stuff for the Packers that could easily go sideways on them. Plus, I don't think GB should allow other players talking about it or giving opinions. It puts them in peril with fans and the team.
MitchAnthony
June 02, 2026 at 08:51 pm
Let's just do a little review.
Two unrelated neighbors called 911 because they "heard" things and they didn't necessarily "see" things and we do not know the actual details of what they heard other than it was a disturbance. It is a good guess that both Jacobs and the girlfriend were contributing to the disturbance in some degree.
There was property damage. Okay, who damaged it? What property was it? Could it be Jacobs decided to damage his own property, or her property? Or could she have even been damaging some of his property? Or did they take care of a little bit of both? We do not know, yet.
Yes indeed, domestic abuse is terrible. It is especially terrible in a family situation where children have to be exposed to it. Thankfully in this situation that dynamic is not a factor.
Understand something about a mandatory arrest domestic abuse law. There will be a mandatory arrest. There is legal language that includes words like: will, shall, and must and those words are commanding in both statute and agency policy. There is no officer discretion. When for whatever reason Jacobs did not stick around to tell his side of the story, you then only have her side of the story to base the initial report on and what happens is what happened. Some have suggested that a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. That did not happen. This was a fresh arrest based on the initial information of the report and the fact that it checked the box of a mandatory arrest. The "locate" did not involve a judge and warrant.
Both Jacobs and the girlfriend have agency here. They decided to enter into this relationship with each other. Jacobs thought it was a good idea to hook up with an influencer who goes from relationship to relationship with professional athletes and shares much of that info with the world at large. As people look at this through the lens of offender and victim perceptions don't forget this may not be as black and white as initially perceived. This is not to say blame the victim. Not at all. This is not to say believe Jacobs. Not at all. They both have a part in their relationship and we just don't know yet enough about the details of what actually happened.
As of this moment the only thing Jacobs is at all guilty of is - picking the wrong person to shack up with. I think a lot of fans understand that as well.
Guam
June 03, 2026 at 07:06 am
Well stated Mitch! Patience and due process need to be the order of the day in this situation.
Alberta_Packer
June 03, 2026 at 12:01 am
So the girlfriend in question may be Ashley Kaash - "Ash Kaash." If so, she is a social media influencer - who has been frequently tied to high-profile internet rumors, dating leaks and situations beyond typical content creation. She has also previously dated both NBA and NFL players. So additional layers to the investigation..
golfpacker61
June 03, 2026 at 09:11 am
"Yes indeed, domestic abuse is terrible." But......
Then she must be a bad person and she is responsible for Jacobs strangling her. She probably put his hands on her neck too. So then I guess those are good reasons for a man to beat up a woman. Really?
"As of this moment the only thing Jacobs is at all guilty of is - picking the wrong person to shack up with. I think a lot of fans understand that as well." Do they? Or Mitch, maybe SHE picked the wrong guy to "shack up with."
Everyone says Jacobs is innocent until proven guilty, and he IS, thank God, in America, but she is too. Comments like you 2 have made are the biggest reasons most assaults don't even get reported.
Alberta_Packer
June 03, 2026 at 11:58 am
While all claims of domestic violence should be taken seriously - false or exaggerated claims do happen. Any investigation must consider this possibility. However this requires a strong "theory of the case" backed by concrete proof - which usually requires both time and labor. Perhaps this is why no charges have been made to date - to either Jacobs (or his girlfriend).
Also - the choice to not report domestic violence is incredibly complex and deeply rooted in the cumulative barriers that victims face. Not because I forwarded some potentially pertinent information about an open investigation.
MitchAnthony
June 03, 2026 at 05:30 pm
Just wait a minute here. Have you actually read some of the posts I've made about this or have you just done your down-votes out of hand?
The actual statute, as I explained, is Strangulation/Suffocation. As I've explained, don't get hung up on the title, read the actual elements of the offense. You apparently want to imagine Jacobs with his biceps bulging and his thumbs pressing against her throat while causing some petechiae in those heterochromatic eyes of hers. What if the only thing he did was hold her tightly to get her to stop throwing things and breaking things and she told the officer(s), "He held me so tight I couldn't breath." ? That comment right there would satisfy the suffocation element, wouldn't it? I'm not saying it did happen that way but something as minimal as that would fit. Again, we just don't know yet. Don't get so wrapped up on a word. When facts come available, figure out how it meets the legal and elemental language of the statute.
I simply said they both have agency in their relationship. You seem to put her on the Doris Day pedestal while she might be more toward the Amber Heard end of the continuum. Yeah, maybe Jacobs should have watched that "Hot/Crazy Matrix" YouTube video and took it to heart. But here's the thing. When has this ever been reported or rumored about him ever in the past? Pretty much never. You are correct. Maybe she also picked the wrong guy to shack up with as well.
You wanna know what happens to most people in a domestic abuse situation in a first offense type scenario? They get deferments. They get sent to counseling. They get probation. If they get can get straight, not re-offend, and behave themselves the charges often get dropped or minimized. It sure helps if they split and go their separate ways. That's pretty much anyone, not just a rich NFL player. Someone mentioned the numbers in a another thread as if it doesn't get adequately prosecuted. That's just not true. The system tries help make corrections to behaviors early on. It is an interventionist strategy aimed at correction and compliance and not simply giving people criminal charges and washing their hands of them. Voluntary compliance is often the goal of any law enforcement. It is especially the goal of correcting domestic abuse.
Snap the ball
June 03, 2026 at 11:27 am
Maybe the Bears sent her to Green Bay to cause problems. Why be with probably used items.
A lesson learned. Find a nice Midwest girl and be done with it and they cook better. They drive F150 pickups vs. BMW etc…
I bet he did nothing.