Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs denied that his hands-behind-back touchdown celebration against the Carolina Panthers mimicked handcuffs, explaining that the gesture was instead inspired by a gospel song. The moment brought immediate social media backlash regarding his recent domestic violence case and subsequent NFL exempt list return.
Running back Josh Jacobs scored a one-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter to put his team ahead on Thursday Night Football at Lambeau Field as the Green Bay Packers hosted the Carolina Panthers, ultimately securing a 27-19 victory. Immediately after crossing the goal line, Jacobs paused and placed his hands behind his back while his teammates celebrated around him.
To viewers watching the broadcast, the visual immediately recalled Jacobs’ legal trouble earlier in the year. Police arrested the running back in May following a domestic disturbance at his home, and prosecutors later charged him with misdemeanor battery and criminal property damage, as detailed by sports timelines. Jacobs pleaded no contest to both misdemeanor charges, receiving one year of supervision, restitution, a fine, and a no-contact order. The league placed him on the Exempt List, forcing him to miss the first six games of the season before his return in Week 7.
Josh Jacobs said his first TD celebration when he put his hands behind his back was an ode to the gospel song, “Break Every Chain.” Said the broadcast didn’t capture the whole celebration. Here’s his explanation. pic.twitter.com/atGfAz2kvB
Josh Jacobs Cites Gospel Inspiration
Speaking to reporters after the game, Jacobs insisted that the internet and television broadcast misinterpreted a routine that he and teammate Savion Williams had planned beforehand. He placed the blame squarely on the television cameras for cutting away before the full routine could play out on screen.
Jacobs explained that the routine was structured around his faith, with specific celebrations mapped out alongside wide receivers like Savion Williams and others before his season debut. The first touchdown back in Week 7 involved going to his knees to thank God, while the second touchdown plan drew from a gospel song titled Break Every Chain
.
Basically, last week, we said the first celebration, when I score, I was gonna thank God, that’s what I did last week. Second was going to be ‘Break Every Chain.’ It’s a gospel song. That was gonna be the next celebration. It’s a correlation. The media is gonna run with it. They’re gonna make it something that it wasn’t. But it is what it is.
Fans Condemn Celebration Optics
The explanation did little to quell the immediate uproar across digital platforms. Social media users and analysts condemned the gesture as shameless and classless given the underlying domestic violence case. Observers pointed out that regardless of the intended gospel inspiration, the optics of an athlete simulating handcuffs weeks after a no-contest plea to battery demonstrated a severe lack of situational awareness.
Josh Jacobs explained his celebration after his first TD tonight when he put his hands behind his back.He said it was an ode to the gospel song, “Break Every Chain.”He said the TV cameras didn’t get the whole thing. pic.twitter.com/F65YnLMqwF
While the legal proceedings concluded with fines, supervision, and a $1,000 penalty for the battery charge, the professional consequences remain unsettled. The league’s independent investigation into the matter is still open, leaving open the possibility of a suspension under the personal conduct policy beyond the six games he already missed on the exempt list.
Jacobs Struggles Against Carolina Defense
He finished the night with 21 carries for just 39 yards, translating to a 1.9-yard average, while adding six catches for 13 yards through the air. Despite finding the end zone twice—once on the ground and once through a four-yard receiving touchdown thrown by Jordan Love—Jacobs struggled mightily to gain yardage against one of the league’s weaker rush defenses.
With Green Bay holding a 5-3 record through eight weeks, the team’s priority shifts toward gelling upfront to restore production for their lead back.
Whether the NFL decides to issue further discipline for either the underlying offseason incident or the ensuing celebration remains entirely up to league investigators.
Josh Jacobs defended his viral TD celebration and said his hands-behind-back gesture referenced a gospel song.Story from me and @Jaynabardahl: https://t.co/AtHpWCgOiA
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