Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs clarified that his touchdown celebration during Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers was inspired by a gospel song, not a reference to his recent legal issues. Jacobs, who was reinstated from the commissioner's exempt list after serving a six-game stint, scored a short rushing touchdown and appeared to place his hands behind his back as if being handcuffed, prompting speculation on social media and the Amazon Prime broadcast.
After the game, Jacobs told reporters the gesture was part of a planned celebration with wide receiver Savion Williams based on the song "Break Every Chain." He said the broadcast only showed a one-second clip, missing the full sequence where Williams mimed unlocking chains on Jacobs' wrists before Jacobs broke free. "It's just a correlation," Jacobs said. "But like I said, the media's gonna run with it. They're gonna make it something that it wasn't."
Jacobs was placed on the exempt list in the wake of domestic violence allegations stemming from an offseason incident. He was charged with two misdemeanors — battery and damage to property — following his arrest in May after police responded to his home. He pleaded no contest to the charges in September, resolving the court case, and also filed an action to prevent the public release of evidence, including alleged video of the incident.
