Packers' Jacobs Links TD Pose to Gospel Song After Handcuff Debate

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs stated that his touchdown celebration, which involved placing his hands behind his back, was a reference to a gospel song rather than a nod to his recent arrest.

Jacobs scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter of Thursday’s 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers. As teammates gathered around him, he briefly positioned his hands behind his back. The moment was captured on television and spread quickly on social media, where many viewers interpreted the pose as a simulation of being handcuffed.

This was Jacobs’ second game of the season. He had previously been placed on the commissioner’s exempt list following charges filed in August. Those charges stemmed from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend, during which she reported that Jacobs threw her to the ground. Last month, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of battery and criminal damage to property.

Jacobs told reporters that he and his receivers, including Savion Williams, had planned the celebration before his return to the field. They intended to perform a move based on the gospel track “Break Every Chain” after his second touchdown of the season. His first touchdown celebration of the year occurred Sunday in a 20-17 loss at Detroit, where he knelt and raised his arms to the sky.

“The guys did it with me,” Jacobs said. “I didn’t think it was going to be a thing that can be perceived a certain type of way. But it’s 2026, and it is what it is.”

When asked why the brief pose drew so much scrutiny, Jacobs noted that the broadcast only showed a small fraction of the full sequence. “It was more to it than that,” he said. “They stopped showing the celebration after that. Like I said, it is what it is.”

Jacobs was removed from the exempt list last week, allowing him to play while the league's investigation continues. He had been unable to practice or take the field during his time on the list.