Josh Jacobs denies Packers touchdown celebration mocked his arrest
Jacobs said his hands-behind-the-back score against Carolina was a tribute to a gospel song, not a nod to his arrest earlier this year.
Why Josh Jacobs is trending
Josh Jacobs is trending because of an arrest, not a touchdown. ESPN reported that the Green Bay Packers running back scored the first of his two touchdowns in Thursday night's 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers by celebrating with his hands behind his back, and the gesture immediately drew comparisons to his arrest earlier this year.
What is known: Jacobs was arrested this year and charged with misdemeanor battery and destruction of property after an incident with a woman at his Green Bay area home, per ESPN. He pleaded no contest in September, was convicted of battery, and received a deferred judgment agreement on the property charge. What is not known: whether the NFL will add any discipline, since the league has not closed its personal conduct policy investigation even after removing Jacobs from the commissioner exempt list in Week 7. What happens next is that investigation running its course; there is no timeline for it in what ESPN has reported.
Jacobs says the gesture was about a gospel song
Jacobs told reporters after the game, according to ESPN, that the celebration was a reference to a gospel song called "Break Every Chain," not a nod to his arrest. He said the broadcast only caught a short piece of it. "They didn't even get the whole celebration," Jacobs said, adding that it was shown for about one second.
He said he and receiver Savion Williams had planned two celebrations for his return: thanking God on his first touchdown back, then moving to the "Break Every Chain" gesture as the next one. "It's just a correlation, but like I said, the media is going to run with it," Jacobs said, per ESPN. "They're going to make it something that it wasn't, but it is what it is." He also said several teammates made the same gesture during the celebration.
The arrest case behind the reaction
The incident that triggered the arrest happened at Jacobs's home in the Green Bay area, per ESPN. He was charged with misdemeanor battery and destruction of property, pleaded no contest to both charges in September, was convicted of battery, and was given a deferred judgment agreement on the destruction of property charge. The NFL took him off the commissioner exempt list in Week 7, but ESPN reported the league's personal conduct policy investigation remains open.
Fox News coverage of the moment, from Craig Carton's show, described the celebration as sparking outrage and called it a "handcuff" gesture, a sharper read than the gospel-song explanation Jacobs gave.
Jacobs on his return and the win over Carolina
Jacobs made his season debut the previous Sunday against the Lions after missing the first six games on the commissioner exempt list, and Thursday's game was his first at Lambeau Field this season. He said the crowd reaction was positive. "It was good, man," he said, per ESPN. "I think it was good for the team. It was good to be out there, Thursday night, electric, stadium packed."
On the field, Jacobs rushed 21 times for 39 yards, a 1.9-yard average, against what ESPN described as the league's worst rushing defense, and scored on a 1-yard run. He added six catches for 13 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, as Green Bay beat Carolina 27-19 behind three touchdown passes from Jordan Love.
Facts per ESPN, Fox News, ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.