Source Provides Major Update on Packers Star Josh Jacobs’ Knee Injury

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs could miss Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, but tests on Monday showed his knee is structurally good and he will not need surgery, a source told Packers On SI on Monday.

Josh Jacobs does not need surgery, according to a source. He "possibly" will be out on Sunday against the Vikings.
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 17, 2025

With that, it will be a sigh of relief organizationally given the overall importance of Jacobs on the field and in the locker room.

“I think anytime a player, especially of his magnitude, but anytime a player doesn’t finish a game, you’re always concerned about the welfare of them,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the game.

For the near future, rather than the quality one-two punch of Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson, it could be Wilson and Chris Brooks to start a pivotal stretch of three consecutive NFC North games. After the Packers host Minnesota on Sunday, they will play at the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.

“It feels good to get back on track as far as winning,” Wilson said. “We going to celebrate this win but tomorrow we’re back to work and focused on the Vikings. It’s a divisional game and we’re moving on.”

Pierre Strong, who has some experience, is on the practice squad. Last year’s third-round pick, MarShawn Lloyd, has spent the season on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury sustained in the preseason.

“I don’t think you have to adjust too much,” quarterback Jordan Love said after the game of going with Wilson. “Obviously, it’s tough whenever people go down, but like I always say, next-man-up mentality. Emanuel Wilson came in – obviously he’s played a lot of ball – but he did a great job tonight.

“Like I said, I don’t we changed things up much, kept going with our plan and our scheme, and he made some big-time plays in the run game. Obviously, the two-point conversion was big time, some big-time things in the pass game and pass protection, as well. So, he did a great job.”

Wilson rushed for 502 yards on 103 carries last season, his 4.9-yard average about a half-yard better than Jacobs. This season, he has carried 53 times for 220 yards. His average is 0.32 yards better than Jacobs’ mark. That comes with the caveat that defenses are determined to limit Jacobs but play a little looser with Wilson.

Wilson carried 11 times for 40 yards with an 11-yard touchdown against the Giants.

“Next man up,” Wilson told reporters after the game, “but I just try my best to match his game the best I can. When he came back out, standing there the rest of the game, he was just telling me to believe in myself and be me and he trusts me.”

The Green Bay offense revolves around Jacobs.

He is fifth on the team with 169 rushes but only 15th with 648 rushing yards because he’s 38th out of 49 qualifying players with 3.83 yards per carry. Only the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor has more rushing touchdowns than Jacobs’ 11; he almost had 12 on Sunday but was stopped just short of the goal line on the play before he was stuffed on his final carry of the day.

Last year, Jacobs finished sixth with 1,329 rushing yards, 23rd with 4.42 yards per carry and fourth with 15 rushing touchdowns.

The diminished production isn’t his fault, though. Week after week, Jacobs has been running into a brick wall but managing to break through enough bricks to squeeze 2 or 3 or 4 yards out of it most of the time.

Jacobs is one of 37 running backs with at least 80 carries. While he is 13th in total rushing yards, he’s seventh with 521 rushing yards after contact and tied for seventh with 32 broken tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s gained 80.4 percent of his rushing yards after contact. That’s the highest percentage of the 16 backs with at least 575 rushing yards.

It’s not just the rushing yardage. Jacobs has caught 28-of-34 targets for 237 yards. A total of 99 players have been targeted at least 34 times. From that group, he ranks third in the NFL in yards after the catch per catch. Packers tight end Tucker Kraft, whose season ended with a torn ACL, is first.

Strong, a fourth-round pick by the Browns in 2022, has 99 carries for 499 yards in 46 career games. Last season with Cleveland, he carried 26 times for 108 yards (4.2 average) and caught a career-high 14 passes for 104 yards. He has 17 career tackles so at least should be able to help the special teams if pressed into service.

As for Lloyd, he’s been doing some rehab work on the field while reporters were present at practice. Even if his return-to-play window were to be opened this week, it’s hard to imagine he’d be ready to play on three practices after a layoff of about three months. Of a possible 27 regular-season games, Lloyd has played in only one.

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