Packers’ Josh Jacobs Erases Name From NFL Record Book

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs no longer holds a bizarre NFL record. To celebrate, he gave a gift to Jordan Love after beating the Houston Texans.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs hops into the end zone for his first career receiving touchdown vs. the Texans. / William Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent via the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For the past couple weeks, the Green Bay Packers have been trying to get Josh Jacobs into the end zone and out of the NFL record book.

On Sunday, they succeeded.

Midway through the third quarter of the Packers’ victory over the Houston Texans, Jacobs caught a screen and lost 3 yards. It was the 211th reception of his career, the most ever for a player without a touchdown catch.

On the next play, Jacobs meandered out into the right flat, then took the route back over the middle. He caught the ball at the 8, eluded a diving tackle attempt and sprinted into the end zone.

With that, Jacobs no longer has the NFL record for most career receptions without a touchdown catch. Instead, it’s revered back to Gerald Riggs, who caught 201 passes for Atlanta and Washington from 1982 though 1991. Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is the active leader with 99.

“We talked about it all week at practice that, ‘Man, this is the week that we’re going to get to,’” Jacobs said. “We had like three or four plays in the red zone for me. I appreciate my coaches, and the teammates wanted me to get that, and calling it for that situation.

“It was fun, man. First Lambeau Leap – official Lambeau Leap – it was a good one.”

Jacobs, just like he did a couple weeks ago, downplayed the accomplishment.

“I know it meant a lot to the guys in this locker room,” Jacobs said. “All week, we had four or five plays for me to get one. So, I think that’s dope for the guys. The receivers wanted me to have it and also the coaches, they wanted me to finally get one. I think it’s big, man, just because of that type of appreciation.

“I don’t think I’m going to keep the game ball, though. That also was Jordan’s 50th career passing touchdown, so I think I’m going to give it to him.”

Indeed, after Jacobs got done with his final wave of interviews, he walked across the locker room to Jordan Love’s locker. Jacobs told Love that the ball was his and they embraced.

“That was huge,” Love said before the locker-room conversation with Jacobs. “That’s something we’ve talked about all season, trying to get Josh that first receiving touchdown, and we were able to do that, so I’m very happy for him.

“It was a great little catch-and-run by him on the screen. Definitely something we’ve been wanting to do, and I’m glad we were able to make that happen.”

For Jacobs, catching his first touchdown pass and getting out of the record book didn’t really matter. What was more meaningful is that it was so important to his teammates.

Signed in free agency to replace the beloved Aaron Jones, Jacobs has quickly become a revered presence on the team.

“I think that’s huge,” Jacobs said. “I think that means more to me than actually getting a touchdown because it just shows the type of respect that I have in this locker room and it shows that everybody cares about it. I think that’s bigger than the touchdown.”

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