Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs wasn’t on the field participating during the first session of OTAs this week. Coach Matt LaFleur said Jacobs, who signed a three-year deal with the Packers to replace Aaron Jones, is dealing with a minor hamstring injury.
“He’s working through a little hamstring issue,” LaFleur explained Tuesday. “I know everybody’s going to freak out but he’s on the mend, he’s doing a good job and we anticipate him back pretty shortly.”
Jacobs, 26, has never missed a game with a hamstring injury at the NFL level, but he did miss two games after injuring his hamstring before the 2017 season at Alabama. Last year, Jacobs missed four games with a deep thigh bruise.
Jones, the running back he’s replacing in Green Bay, had a hamstring injury early in the 2023 season and then missed more time with a knee injury.
The Packers have veteran A.J. Dillon and third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd at running back behind Jacobs, plus Emanuel Wilson, Ellis Meriweather and rookie Jarveon Howard.
Jacobs played in all 17 games and rushed for an NFL-high 1,653 yards in 2022. Last year, he appeared in 13 games and was limited to 805 rushing yards. Jacobs has played in at least 13 games during all five of his NFL seasons, and he’s missed only nine total games overall.