The Green Bay Packers are staring at the bottom of the NFL rushing rankings, and the numbers are ugly. Even with Josh Jacobs back in the mix, Green Bay is averaging just 60.6 rushing yards per game, which is dead last in the league. The next team up, the Las Vegas Raiders, is at 74.7.
Jacobs missed the first six games of the season while on the commissioner’s exempt list after his arrest and no-contest plea on domestic violence charges in May. The NFL attempted to get the video from the incident during its investigation, but the court sealed that evidence.
Now, the situation around Jacobs has gotten even more complicated. Documents obtained by a local news agency show that three more women have accused him of violence in the past.
All of that makes the Packers’ reported interest in Jonathan Taylor even more notable. ESPN reported that Green Bay has expressed interest in a trade for the Indianapolis Colts running back, with multiple teams involved in the conversation.
“The Indianapolis Colts are now open to trading star running back Jonathan Taylor, sources told ESPN and NFL Network.
“Multiple teams have reached out to Indianapolis, and those talks are said to be active and ongoing, according to sources.
“The list of teams that have expressed at least some level of interest in trading for Taylor is thought to include the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks, sources said.”
Taylor has put together a strong season, ranking fifth in the NFL with 587 rushing yards and leading the league with eight rushing touchdowns. He’s a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a one-time First Team All-Pro. Last season, he ran for 1,585 yards and led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns.
On paper, Taylor would be an appealing name for Green Bay, especially with his Wisconsin ties as a former Badgers star. But the bigger question is whether he would actually solve anything. The Packers’ run game has not taken off since Jacobs returned, which points more toward the offensive line than the backfield.
That’s why a Taylor trade would come with a hefty price tag and no guarantee of fixing the problem fans care about most. It would, though, give Green Bay a path to move on from Jacobs, which would carry obvious public-relations value in light of the latest allegations.
At the same time, the broader issue remains unchanged: the Packers and the NFL have again shown they are soft on punishing players involved in domestic violence, something that needs to change going forward. Green Bay could send a strong message by cutting ties with its controversial running back, and Taylor would at least give the ground game a chance to breathe.
Even then, the offensive line would still be the real issue.
In Other News...
Josh Jacobs Had To Address A Packers Celebration Controversy
Josh Jacobs one-yard touchdown run was supposed to be just another hard-earned scoring play, but the celebration afterward quickly became the bigger conversation. When he put his hands behind his back, the gesture drew attention because of his past legal issues tied to a domestic dispute, and it was enough to prompt questions about whether there was any message behind it.
Jacobs pushed back on that reading, saying there was no disrespect intended and framing the moment as part of a planned celebration. The episode came shortly after his return to action from the commissioners exempt list, a stretch that put his off-field situation back under a bright spotlight even as he has tried to focus on football, show remorse and move forward with the Packers. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Win Couldnt Hide A Roster Problem Green Bay Must Fix
The Packers got the result they needed, but the win did little to disguise a rushing attack that has been stuck near the bottom of the league through seven games. Green Bays ground game has struggled to find any rhythm, and the problems have only been made worse by injuries up front, where the offensive line has been shuffling through personnel issues and losing stability at center.
Sean Rhyans absence looms over the discussion even more now, because the Packers are trying to keep the offense balanced without one of the key pieces that helps hold the line together. If Green Bay decides the answer has to come from outside the building, the kind of moves being floated would point to a team that knows it needs help in a hurry, even if any real solution would take some doing. [Read more 🡒]
Xavier McKinneys Stand After The Lions Loss Came At A Price
Xavier McKinneys latest night at Lambeau Field was a reminder that the Packers defense can still swing a game, even as the safety continues to carry some baggage from the week before. Green Bay beat Carolina 27-19 to move to 5-3, and McKinney was right in the middle of it with three sacks and a pass defended, giving the Packers the kind of disruptive performance they needed after a tense stretch.
McKinney also revealed there was a cost attached to his postgame frustration after the loss to Detroit, when he publicly took aim at the officiating. The league response landed in the form of a fine, and McKinney made clear he was prepared for the consequences when speaking up for his team, turning his stance into another subplot for a Packers defense that has already had plenty to deal with this season. [Read more 🡒]