Coming off the bye, the Detroit Lions will be tested right away against one of their fiercest rivals: the Green Bay Packers. The Packers, led by eighth-year head coach Matt LaFleur, are winners of two in a row (at time of this publication).
And they'll be equipped with their star running back, Josh Jacobs, for the first time this season.
Jacobs has been on the commissioner exempt list since Aug. 30, following the filing of misdemeanor battery and criminal property damage charges against him in May.
The seventh-year back is set to be removed from the list Monday, allowing him to practice and play against Detroit next week. Yet, the NFL's investigation into Jacobs remains ongoing, leaving open the possibility that he could still be suspended and miss additional games this season.
Jacobs should provide a significant boost to the Packers’ ground game, which has averaged a measly 3.1 yards a carry heading into Green Bay's primetime affair with Dallas in Week 6. That average, by the way, is the second-worst mark among all 32 NFL franchises.
Jacobs, meanwhile, averaged 4.0 yards per carry, and amassed 929 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in his second season with the Packers in 2025. He was also productive in his two games against the Lions a season ago, notably rushing for 83 yards on 17 carries in a Week 13 win against Dan Campbell's squad.
Unquestionably, Jacobs is an integral member of LaFleur's offensive attack, and he's likely to provide plenty of fits next Sunday to Detroit's pedestrian run defense.
While Green Bay will be getting Jacobs back, it will not have superstar EDGE Micah Parsons at its disposal for its Week 7 tilt at Ford Field.
Parsons, who has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since the end of the exhibition season, is still in the process of working his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus injury he suffered last December. And he has still yet to be cleared to return to practice, meaning he will remain sidelined a week from now against the Lions.
Kickoff for the Packers’ Week 7 contest in Detroit is scheduled for next Sunday at 4:25 p.m. EST.
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