Brian Gutekunst Couldn’t Be More Clear About Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs quickly solidified himself as a core player after he joined the Green Bay Packers in 2024.

Two years after being the NFL's rushing yards leader, Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns, and even got his first career receiving touchdown. For an impactful first season in Wisconsin, Jacobs made the Pro Bowl.

Jacobs wasn't able to surpass that in 2025 thanks to lingering knee injuries and less-than-impressive offensive line play. Still, it's clear the offense is at its best when Jacobs is healthy.

So while the Packers could cut Jacobs for some cap relief in 2026, they won't.

Brian Gutekunst made it clear he expects Jacobs back in action and at the center of their offensive identity this season, and Gutey reiterated that belief at the NFL Scouting Combine. With Jacobs under contract, the GM is using the most absolute-sounding terminology as you'll hear from an NFL executive. The Packers don't have many other options, so expect Jacobs back for his third year in green and gold.

Despite playing one of the most constantly battered positions in the NFL, Jacobs has generally stayed healthy. Even in the meat grinder that was 2025, he only missed two games and still put up 929 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“Josh is a warrior,” Gutekunst

During his media availability on Tuesday at the combine, Gutekunst doubled down on this stance.

“He’s a very important cog in what we’re trying to do here,” Gutekunst

General managers often speak with all the clarity of ancient oracles, but it's hard to be much more direct than that.

The idea that the Packers want their best running back (and one of the offense's most important players) to return may not feel like headline news. Plus, Josh Jacobs is still under contract with the team. Why wouldn't one expect Jacobs back under the circumstances?

But considering just two years ago, Green Bay moved on from a running back called the “heartbeat of the team,” it's worth noting.

Gutekunst spoke in much more certain terms than he did about Aaron Jones, whom they released after acquiring Jacobs in 2024.

Green Bay structured Jacobs' four-year, $48 million contract the way they often do: cheapest in the first two years, with an “out” before the third season. Jacobs' 2026 cap hit is just shy of $15 million after a ~$5 million hit in 2024 and ~$11 million in 2025. If they cut Jacobs, it would add around $9 million in cap relief (with a ~$6 million in dead cap).

The team could use some cap space, but the hit isn't massive enough to run Josh Jacobs out of town, especially without a successor on the roster.

Behind Jacobs, Green Bay has:

There isn't anyone you'd roll the dice on being the featured back in 2026.

The Packers could look to free agency for another featured back, but that brings in a new set of problems.

Jacobs' cost-to-production level will be nigh-impossible to meet, so you're either paying more or getting a less reliable back as a result.

Top free-agent RB Breece Hall is expected to stay with the New York Jets, who have the franchise and transition tags at their disposal. Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker will be more expensive and has an injury history. Other options like Travis Etienne or Rico Dowdle don't have the same proven experience.

It's also worth noting that Green Bay reworked its approach to building its offensive line to better suit Jacobs’ power-rushing style. The run blocking still has a ways to go, but it's clear that the Packers have a long-term vision on how they want to build their running game, and Jacobs is the ideal type of back for what Matt LaFleur wants to do.

The cost is right, there isn't a clear alternative, and Jacobs is the team's most reliable red-zone weapon. Of course, the general manager wants him back, despite potential cap savings. But in a time where general managers, coaches, and agents are schmoozing over steaks and drinks at the combine, and everyone is lying to the public, it's nice to get a definitive statement about one of Green Bay's most important players.

So expect Josh Jacobs to return in Avengers: Whatever.