Salary cap casualty season is coming for players around the NFL, but you can scratch Josh Jacobs’ name off the list of players who might be looking for a new team in 2026. Brian Gutekunst made that clear on Tuesday when speaking with beat writers ahead of his press conference at the 2026 NFL Combine, confirming that Jacobs will indeed be the team’s starting running back in the coming season.
After signing with the Packers as a free agent in 2024 and having a Pro Bowl season that year, Jacobs is coming off a bit of a down year in 2025. He missed two games due to injuries and saw his rushing yardage total drop from 1,329 to 929, while his yards per carry average also dropped from 4.4 to 4.0, all while running behind a new-look offensive line that was supposed to help improve the team’s power running game.
Those dropping statistics had started to drive a narrative that Jacobs might be a potential cap casualty this offseason. He has two years remaining on his four-year, $48 million contract, and in 2026 he is set to hold a cap number of $14.5 million. Based on the structure of the contract, a release would save the Packers nearly $8.3 million in cap space.
However, the Packers’ running back situation behind Jacobs is questionable at best. The team has been hoping for former third-round draft pick MarShawn Lloyd to make an impact, but he has played in exactly one NFL game through two seasons. Meanwhile, backups Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are both set to be restricted free agents this spring, and neither player’s return is a sure thing.
Two years ago, Brian Gutekunst faced a somewhat similar decision with Aaron Jones. At that time, Gutekunst used different language about Jones than he did about Jacobs today, however, saying in early February “Absolutely, we’d love to have Aaron back.” Ultimately, the two sides were unable to work out an agreement on a pay cut for Jones and the team released him, only to see him sign with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year, $7 million deal. Last offseason, Jones signed an extension in Minnesota worth $20 million over two seasons, and his cap hit for 2026 is almost identical to Jacobs’.
The Packers head into the 2026 offseason with Jacobs as the only remotely proven running back under contract for the upcoming season. It is entirely possible that the Packers elect to shift some of Jacobs’ money around to lessen his cap hit this year, however; with a $10.2 million base salary, the team could convert much of that into a signing bonus to spread it out into 2027 (or beyond, if they include void years). But one thing appears certain from Gutekunst’s comments: Jacobs will indeed be on the roster and in the starting lineup this fall when healthy.