Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs scored a rushing touchdown against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, October 30, 2026, and celebrated by placing his hands behind his back in a gesture that many observers interpreted as mimicking an arrest. Jacobs, who was recently reinstated from the commissioner's exempt list after serving a six-game stint stemming from domestic violence allegations, addressed the celebration after the game.
Jacobs said the gesture was not a reference to his arrest but to the gospel song "Break Every Chain." He explained that he and wide receiver Savion Williams had planned the celebration, which included Williams appearing to unlock chains on Jacobs' wrists before Jacobs breaks free. A longer video of the celebration supports this explanation.
The incident that led to Jacobs' placement on the exempt list occurred in May, when he was arrested on charges of battery and damage to property following a domestic violence incident. He pleaded no contest to the two misdemeanors in September, resolving the court case, and has also sought to prevent the public release of evidence, including alleged video of the incident.
