Packers' Josh Jacobs: TD celebration was ode to gospel song, not mocking arrest
Jacobs says his touchdown celebration after Thursday's 27-19 win over the Panthers was a planned tribute to a gospel song, not a response to his arrest.
Why Josh Jacobs is trending
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs says the hands-behind-his-back celebration after his touchdown in Thursday night's 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers had nothing to do with his arrest earlier this year. The gesture went viral because Jacobs had been arrested in connection with an incident at his Green Bay area home, and people online connected the celebration to that case. Jacobs said the move was actually a nod to a gospel song called "Break Every Chain," something he and receiver Savion Williams had planned before his season debut last week, not a reaction to anything that happened on the field Thursday.
Jacobs said he and Williams came up with two separate touchdown celebrations once he returned from the commissioner exempt list. The first, used last week against the Lions, was meant to thank God. "Break Every Chain" was always going to be the second, planned ahead of time and not tied to the moment. Several teammates made the same gesture during the celebration, Jacobs said.
Jacobs said the clip that circulated only showed a small piece of what happened. "They didn't even get the whole celebration," he said. He said he did not expect the gesture to be read the way it was. "But it's 2026, and it is what it is," he said.
Packers beat Panthers 27-19
The Packers beat the Panthers 27-19 on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, with Jordan Love throwing three touchdown passes. Jacobs scored twice, a 1-yard touchdown run and a 4-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. He finished with 39 yards on 21 carries, a 1.9-yard average, against a Panthers run defense that ranked last in the league. He also caught six passes for 13 yards.
It was Jacobs' first game at Lambeau Field this season and his second appearance since returning from the commissioner exempt list. He said the crowd's reaction was positive. "It was good, man," he said. "I think it was good for the team."
The arrest and the exempt list
Jacobs was arrested earlier this year and charged with misdemeanor battery and destruction of property following an incident with a woman at his Green Bay area home. He pleaded no contest to the charges in September. He was convicted of battery and given a deferred judgment agreement on the destruction of property charge.
The NFL took Jacobs off the commissioner exempt list in Week 7, clearing him to play, but the league has not closed its investigation into whether he violated the personal conduct policy. Jacobs made his season debut against the Lions, and Thursday's game marked his first appearance at Lambeau Field this season.
What happens next
Jacobs said he did not anticipate the celebration being read as a reference to his arrest, and that a small clip got turned into something it was not. The NFL's personal conduct policy investigation into Jacobs remains open, with no timeline given for when it might close.
Facts per ESPN, ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.