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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Green Bay Packers star running back Josh Jacobs has been sidelined for the past five days with a groin injury after being held out of practice on Thursday, Aug. 6.
The injury was said to be minor and more precautionary than anything else, with the team anticipating Jacobs will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
But Packers fans shouldn't expect an immediate return. Head coach Matt LaFleur revealed Tuesday morning that Jacobs is still rehabbing and is expected to remain out of practice for "at least this week." Green Bay opens its preseason Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium — a game Jacobs will now miss, leaving the door open for third-year running back MarShawn Lloyd to make a case for a bigger role.
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Two years ago, Jacobs was one of the best running backs in the NFL, rushing for 1,329 yards (sixth in the league) and a career-high 15 touchdowns (fourth) on 301 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per carry to go with 342 receiving yards. His 1,671 total scrimmage yards ranked sixth in the NFL that season.
But last year told a different story. Despite finishing with 13 rushing touchdowns, Jacobs ran for just 929 yards — his lowest total since 2023, when he played only 13 games — and posted his lowest per-carry average (4.0) over a full 15-game season since 2020 (3.9) with the Raiders. He also missed two games last year with a persistent knee issue that reportedly affected his production.
At 28, Jacobs is still in his prime and considered one of the best backs in football. But any extended absence opens the door for others to step up, particularly Lloyd, who's reportedly had a strong camp and looks poised for a larger role this season.
After Thursday's game against the Steelers, the Packers head to Denver to face the Broncos on Friday, Aug. 21, before closing out the preseason at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Fans will want to monitor Jacobs' status through that stretch as Green Bay builds toward its regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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