Josh Jacobs’ path back to the field does not appear close, and the latest update from Ian Rapoport makes that clear.
On Sunday, the NFL Network insider said the league has officially filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department for evidence that had previously been sealed in Jacobs’ case. Jacobs pleaded no contest to battery and criminal damage to property in an incident involving his girlfriend, and the police report in the case says Jacobs stated it was accurate during his court date.
The report says Jacobs grabbed and threw the anonymous woman to the ground, leaving her injured. It also says there is video recovered from Jacobs’ garage, where his girlfriend tried to leave his property, and that the footage at minimum shows her on the ground for roughly 40 seconds before Jacobs comes back and damages her cellphone. The report does not directly say the video captures Jacobs throwing the victim, and the wording is described as fairly vague.
There has already been movement on the evidence side of the case. Jacobs’ camp asked for a temporary seal of evidence, and that request was approved.
The victim sought a permanent seal, but Judge Marc Hammer denied it, saying the decision should be made by the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department rather than the district attorney’s office. Hobart-Lawrence now has 10 days to respond to public records requests for the evidence, with that clock starting on Friday, September 25th.
As for Jacobs’ football status, Rapoport didn’t leave much room for optimism in the short term.
“I do not expect an imminent return for Josh Jacobs. It is not expected to be something where they’re gonna snap their fingers and gonna be back on the field next week.”
Rapoport added that Jacobs’ “potential return” could come after five to eight games of “time served” while on the commissioner exempt list.
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