The Green Bay Packers enter Saturday night’s NFC North showdown in Chicago monitoring Josh Jacobs after his left knee swelled again in last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
This has fans wondering if they can expect to see him in Week 16’s huge divisional matchup against the Chicago Bears.
What Is the Latest Update on the Packers Josh Jacobs’ Injury?
Jacobs finished the game against the Broncos and scored rushing and receiving touchdowns, but did not participate in practices this week. The Packers managed his knee for more than a month, and the staff is planning late-week functional checks to gauge readiness closer to kickoff.
Meanwhile, receiver Christian Watson returned to practice after last week’s chest scare and said he expects to play, underscoring different trajectories among offensive starters. With multiple other Packers on the injury report and the calendar condensed by a Saturday game, availability decisions will hinge on pregame testing and medical clearance.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said the team will evaluate Jacobs up to game time after he did not practice all week. Jacobs acknowledged the knee swelling in Denver and described pushing to continue despite pain, consistent with how he has navigated recent weeks.
The Packers’ official injury report listed several other questionables and ruled out three players; the approach for injured starters remains to reassess late and decide near inactives. Given the short week, range-of-motion, swelling response, and cutting/acceleration drills typically guide final calls.
Is Josh Jacobs Playing in Week 16 vs. the Bears
Final determination will come after pregame work. Jacobs framed the coach-player dynamic around playing through injury this way: “It’s been a couple times since I’ve been here where we kind of clashed on if they was going to allow me to play or not, and every time I had a pretty good game,” Jacobs said.
“I think he’s (LeFleur) probably to the point where he’s like, ‘Man, I’m just going to trust you. If you say you can do it and you believe that you can do, then I’m going to let you go.’”
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If cleared, workload could be adjusted based on how the knee responds; if not, Green Bay would lean on backups and quick-game structure to sustain drives against a defense that compresses intermediate windows.
The Packers (9-4-1) visit the Bears (10-4) with division stakes and primetime scrutiny. If Jacobs is active, the Packers regain their primary early-down runner, with short-yardage and red-zone utility, easing the strain on the protection and helping set up manageable third downs. His downhill style pairs with play-action to challenge second-level defenders.
If he sits, Green Bay’s script shifts toward perimeter timing, screens, and complementary backs to generate first downs against a Bears unit that rallies to the ball and limits explosive plays.
The Bears already ruled out Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, altering their offensive balance and placing greater emphasis on the ground game and possession control. Field position and special teams will matter at Soldier Field, where hidden yards often swing close NFC North contests.
With several Packers needing late clearance and Jacobs working through a week without practice, inactives will define whether Green Bay deploys its preferred ground identity or a modified approach.