The Green Bay Packers have a date for Josh Jacobs’ return, and the NFL’s announcement Friday came with a companion.

The league announced Oct. 16 that Jacobs and Denver Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper are being removed from the Commissioner Exempt List. Jacobs will come off the list Monday, Oct. 19, while Cooper was removed Friday.

The NFL said its reviews of both players’ legal situations remain ongoing.

Jacobs will stay out for Green Bay’s Sunday night matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, but it clears him to return in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. The Packers have gone 3-2 without their three-time Pro Bowl running back and headed into the weekend with the NFL’s 32nd-ranked rushing offense.

Cooper’s return has a different legal backdrop. The Broncos pass rusher, whose contract extension is worth up to $60 million, faces several domestic violence charges, including a felony count of second-degree assault by strangulation.

Broncos Pass Rusher Facing Felony Charge as NFL Clears Return

Cooper was arrested in Colorado on June 4 following what police described as an argument and physical confrontation with his girlfriend. Prosecutors later dropped charges against the woman and added charges against Cooper, including the felony second-degree assault count, per NFL.com.

The Broncos defender has pleaded not guilty. He was arrested again days after the initial incident on allegations that he violated a protection order by repeatedly contacting the woman.

His case is unresolved. A Douglas County judge recently scheduled Cooper’s trial for March 2-4, 2027, with a pretrial hearing set for Feb. 19.

Cooper thanked the Broncos organization and the league after Friday’s decision.

“Over the last several months, I’ve spent a lot of time working to better myself,” Cooper said in a statement posted to Instagram, adding that the work would continue.

The 28-year-old went from a seventh-round selection to one of Denver’s primary edge rushers. He has recorded at least eight sacks in each of the past three seasons, including a career-high 10.5 in 2024. Denver signed Cooper to a four-year extension worth up to $60 million that same year.

Cooper is eligible to return in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals after missing Denver’s first six games.

Packers Get Week 7 Return Date for Jacobs

Jacobs’ road back to the Packers comes after his own legal case kept him away from the team through the opening six weeks.

He was arrested in May after an altercation with his then-girlfriend and booked on five counts, including felony strangulation. Prosecutors ultimately charged Jacobs with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property.

Jacobs pleaded no contest to both misdemeanor charges Sept. 10. He was fined $1,000 plus court costs on the battery charge. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed after one year if he satisfies conditions that include staying out of trouble, completing counseling and paying restitution.

His attorneys said Friday that Jacobs “accepts responsibility for his actions” and is eager to return to the field. The NFL, however, made clear its review is active despite taking him off the exempt list.

Jacobs also filed a lawsuit this week seeking to have evidence connected to the case permanently sealed. The filing supports the victim’s request to keep private and sensitive records from becoming public.

The football impact moves into focus for the Packers, as Jacobs can rejoin an offense that has struggled to enforce its running game through five contests, with a divisional trip to Detroit waiting in Week 7.

All things considered, the Packers will have their No. 1 running back again. And his return lands alongside a second exempt-list decision in the NFL this season.