Packers' Josh Jacobs Says TD Celebration Was Ode to Gospel Song, Not Mocking His Arrest
Jacobs said his hands-behind-the-back celebration Thursday night was a nod to "Break Every Chain" and that the broadcast didn't show the whole thing
Josh Jacobs says his first touchdown celebration Thursday night had nothing to do with his arrest.
After scoring from a yard out in the Packers' 27-19 win over the Panthers, Jacobs was shown on the broadcast in the end zone with his hands behind his back. The clip spread quickly online, with many viewers reading it as a handcuffs gesture from a player who was charged with two misdemeanors after a May arrest at his Green Bay-area home. After the game, Jacobs told ESPN's Rob Demovsky the celebration was an ode to the gospel song "Break Every Chain," and that the TV shot cut off most of it.
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.View on X →
Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky): 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.
Jacobs said he and receiver Savion Williams planned both celebrations for his return, and that several teammates made the same gesture. "I didn't think it was going to be a thing that can be perceived a certain type of way," he said.
The timing keeps the case in the spotlight. Jacobs pleaded no contest in September and was convicted of battery, with a deferred judgment on the destruction of property charge. He spent the first six games on the commissioner exempt list before the league reinstated him in Week 7, and he made his season debut last Sunday in Detroit. The NFL still hasn't closed its personal conduct policy investigation.
On the field, his first game at Lambeau this season was a grind. Jacobs scored twice, on the 1-yard run and a 4-yard catch in the third quarter, but managed just 39 yards on 21 carries against the league's worst run defense. Green Bay moved to 5-3 with the win.