Green Bay, WI – The Green Bay Packers’ Week 7 preparations against the Arizona Cardinals have been thrown into chaos, as star running back Josh Jacobs’ availability hangs by a thread in a gut-wrenching twist that confirms the team’s deepest injury nightmares.
With a stellar 3-1-1 record fueling playoff hopes, the Packers were already reeling from the devastating news that dynamic wide receiver Christian Watson would miss his season debut due to a lingering torn ACL. But now, all eyes are on Jacobs, the powerhouse back who’s been the engine of Green Bay’s ground attack. Listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report with a nagging calf strain and a mysterious illness, Jacobs’ status has deteriorated into a nail-biting “true game-time decision,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In a bombshell update dropped late Saturday night on X, Schefter revealed: “Packers RB Josh Jacobs, listed as questionable for Sunday due to illness and a calf injury, is now being considered a ‘true game-time decision’ for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Cardinals, per source. The team says it does not expect to know whether he can play until Sunday. If Jacobs is unable to play, Packers RB Emanuel Wilson would be the expected starter.”
The report sent shockwaves through Lambeau Field, echoing sentiments from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who chimed in shortly after: “Packers standout RB Josh Jacobs, dealing with an illness and a calf strain, is up in the air regarding his status on Sunday, per me and @TomPelissero. Whether he plays will be determined pre-game.”
This shocking turn comes on the heels of Jacobs’ heroic performance in Week 6, where he gutted out a 27-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals despite battling severe sickness. The 27-year-old bruiser powered through 18 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns, even admitting post-game to Packers.com’s Wes Hodkiewicz that he was “throwing up during the game, after.”
“I really don’t know where it came from. I just kind of woke up this morning just not feeling my best,” Jacobs said. “But I told ’em, the last time that I felt that way, I had 130 (yards) and two touchdowns. So it is what it is.”
That grit defined Jacobs’ season so far: a blistering 359 yards and six touchdowns on 98 carries, making him the undisputed focal point of Green Bay’s backfield. No other Packers running back has cracked the 100-yard mark this year, underscoring the catastrophic implications of his potential absence. If Jacobs sits, the reins fall to Emanuel Wilson, a rookie who’s managed just 18 carries for 84 yards in limited action—a stark drop-off that could hobble the Packers’ balanced attack against a Cardinals defense hungry for redemption.
Compounding the dread, Green Bay made a telling roster move on Saturday, elevating practice squad running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the active roster. While the team insists it’s precautionary, the timing—mere hours after Jacobs’ full Friday practice—reeks of contingency planning amid mounting uncertainty.
As the Packers and Cardinals square off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, fans hold their breath. A Jacobs-less offense could spell disaster for a squad eyeing a deep postseason run, turning what should be a winnable road test into a high-stakes gamble. Will the former Raiders star defy the odds once more, or has this injury bombshell derailed Green Bay’s momentum? The answer awaits on game day, but for now, the worst fears of Packer Nation have been brutally confirmed.