Josh Jacobs credits gospel song for hands-behind-back celebration

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs explained that his hands-behind-back celebration during Thursday night’s victory stemmed from a gospel track, not a nod to his recent legal troubles.

Jacobs executed the move after scoring on a one-yard run in the second quarter of the 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers. He placed his hands behind his back while teammates gathered around him for congratulations. The brief clip circulated widely on social media, where many viewers interpreted the gesture as a simulation of being handcuffed.

The running back stated he was modeling the celebration after the song “Break Every Chain.” He noted that the idea originated in conversations with Savion Williams and other receivers before his return to the field. They planned two distinct celebrations for his first two touchdowns of the season. The first occurred Sunday in a 20-17 loss at Detroit, where Jacobs knelt and raised his arms to the sky.

Jacobs acknowledged the timing coincided with his return from the commissioner’s exempt list. He was placed on that list after charges were filed in August regarding a May altercation with his then-girlfriend. He pleaded no contest last month to misdemeanor counts of battery and criminal damage to property.

“The guys did it with me,” Jacobs said. “I didn’t think it was going to be a thing that can be perceived a certain type of way. But it’s 2026, and it is what it is.”

He added that the broadcast captured only a fragment of the full routine. “It was more to it than that,” Jacobs said. “They stopped showing the celebration after that. Like I said, it is what it is.”

Jacobs had been restricted from playing or practicing while on the exempt list. The league removed him from that status last week, allowing him to return to action while the NFL’s investigation into the incident continues.