Josh Jacobs fractured his right ring finger in the Green Bay Packers’ win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, leaving the team to determine whether he can keep playing with the injury.
Head coach Matt LaFleur disclosed the fracture after the game. Jacobs later told reporters that he could not hold the football securely enough to continue.
Josh Jacobs said he fractured his right ring finger. They’ll try and figure out a way for him to play through it. He just couldn’t grip the ball.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 9, 2026
Green Bay is hoping to find a way for Jacobs to remain available, but LaFleur’s initial comments did not establish a return date.
“Hopefully, we can do something to allow him to go out there,” LaFleur said.
Jacobs’ explanation identifies the immediate problem: the injury affected his ability to control the ball. Whether that improves enough for him to play remains unresolved.
Josh Jacobs explains how he injured his finger
Jacobs caught the finger in a Patriots facemask and put it back into place himself.
Jacobs caught his finger in a Patriots facemask. Popped it back in himself after it broke.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 9, 2026
Jacobs went to the locker room during the first quarter and did not return to the game. He finished with four carries for five yards as Green Bay beat New England 45-27 to improve to 6-3.
The injury creates another interruption after Jacobs became eligible to return in Week 7. For now, the Packers’ stated hope that he can play through the fracture is not a confirmation that he will be available.
Kaleb Johnson leads Packers’ backfield with MarShawn Lloyd out
Green Bay was already missing another running back before Jacobs left. MarShawn Lloyd appeared on the team’s inactive list against New England after dealing with a knee injury during the practice week.
Kaleb Johnson took on the largest rushing workload in the backfield. He carried 14 times for 68 yards and a touchdown, including a 34-yard run.
Pierre Strong Jr. added 22 yards on eight carries and caught two passes for 11 yards. Together, Johnson and Strong accounted for 22 rushing attempts after Green Bay entered the game without Lloyd and lost Jacobs early.
Johnson’s production gave the Packers a productive option Sunday, though the game does not settle how carries would be divided if Jacobs remains unavailable.
Chris Brooks is another player whose recovery bears watching. The Packers opened his practice window Wednesday as he works back from an ankle injury on injured reserve.
That began a 21-day period in which Green Bay can activate him.
Brooks’ return process and Lloyd’s knee injury leave the Packers with additional availability decisions beyond Jacobs. LaFleur’s hope is to keep Jacobs involved, but the immediate question is whether he can regain the grip that he said was missing against New England.
