The Green Bay Packers are 5-3 and fourth in the NFC North. This weekend brought fresh uncertainty around their lead running back, as police records released Friday night showed that three other women came forward after Josh Jacobs’ May arrest to accuse him of abuse.

But the same weekend also brought word that a three-time Pro Bowl running back could be available. ESPN reported Saturday that the Indianapolis Colts are now open to trading Jonathan Taylor, with the Packers among the teams thought to be interested, and some fans want Green Bay to move quickly.

Green Bay Packers Fans Want Jonathan Taylor Now

Hobart/Lawrence police released the women’s accounts against Jacobs following a public records request, describing incidents they said occurred in April 2021, January 2022, and May 2022.

Jacobs’ case traces to May 23, when a woman told police he had thrown her onto the ground. He was arrested three days afterward and entered a no contest plea on Sept. 10 to misdemeanor criminal damage to property and battery.

The NFL said on Saturday, “We will review these allegations as part of the investigation which has remained open.” Jacobs’ attorneys pushed back the same day, saying, “The Brown County District Attorney’s office had these uncorroborated, old, and previously unreported allegations for months… the D.A. determined that only two misdemeanor charges were warranted.” The Packers had no immediate comment.

One fan summed up the appeal of a potential deal in the broadest possible terms: “Jonathan Taylor to the Packers would feed families.”

Multiple teams have reached out to Indianapolis, according to the report, and the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants are also thought to have shown at least some interest. The Colts are open to keeping Taylor as part of their rebuild.

Speaking on Thursday, Taylor acknowledged that a trade was possible: “Whether you like it or not, the day may come… You may get to stay somewhere forever, but you understand the business side of it.”

Another fan tied the push directly to the Jacobs news, writing, “With multiple new abuse allegations surfacing against Josh Jacobs, his future in Green Bay is incredibly murky… make a push for Jonathan Taylor ASAP. Our run game can’t afford to stall out right now.”

Green Bay ran 26 times for 66 yards in Thursday’s 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers. Jacobs carried 21 times for 39 yards, though he scored twice, on a 1-yard run and a 4-yard catch from Jordan Love.

Jacobs spent the first six games on the commissioner’s exempt list, where the league placed him in August, and has 75 rushing yards on 32 carries in the two games since.

Others leaned on the organization’s image as much as the depth chart.

”No brainer,” a fan wrote. “Taylor’s a Wisconsin legend and great replacement for Jacobs who is dragging the Packer organization… through the mud,” another fan declared.

Another fan made a similar case about the franchise’s reputation, with an eye on the competition: “The Packers always considered themselves a squeaky clean organization, so what they need to do is finally cut ties with Josh Jacobs and trade for Jonathan Taylor! As a Packer fan, that keeps him off the Vikings…”

Indianapolis is in the midst of a fire sale. This past week, the Colts dealt guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, each a Pro Bowl selection, and then slipped to 2-6 with Sunday’s 42-7 defeat at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Taylor, who ranks 10th in PFN’s RB Impact Score, began the day with 587 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, a total that had him tied for the most in the league. He managed 23 yards on eight carries and lost a fumble.

“Packers please save Jonathan Taylor from the hell that is Indianapolis football,” another fan added.

The Cap Math Behind Moving on From Josh Jacobs

Ken Ingalls, a Packers salary cap analyst, laid out the catch that comes with the move these fans are asking for.

“If the Packers trade for Jonathan Taylor, it means they are moving on from Josh Jacobs… Josh Jacobs was never suspended. As such he currently qualifies for 100% termination pay – Meaning if released and he doesn’t sign with another team the Packers will still owe and cap 100% of his $10.2m base salary. Only savings would be from not having to pay $41,176/game active the rest of the season,” he wrote.

One fan replied, arguing that it’s worth it.

“Let’s GO GET HIM !!! Our offense will turn into (an) All-Around Elite Offense & I don’t see anyone stopping us with a RB of that caliber,” they wrote.

The Colts have reportedly been offered a second-round pick plus additional compensation, and Indianapolis’ asking price might even be slightly higher.

Their target is reportedly something close to the haul Carolina got from the San Francisco 49ers for Christian McCaffrey in 2022, which was made up of second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks. Taylor is 27, and his contract calls for $15 million in 2027 and $9.46 million in 2028. The Colts already paid his $15 million signing bonus before the season.

The NFL could still hand out more discipline to Jacobs, and it is unclear how the new allegations will factor into the league’s investigation.