Packers star Josh Jacobs, among others, was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. But what exactly is it?

On Sunday, the moment arrived: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced which players he was placing on the so-called Commissioner’s Exempt List.

The names on the list were quite prominent. Packers running back Josh Jacobs, Seahawks cornerback Terrion Arnold (formerly of the Detroit Lions), and Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper.

The trio is currently linked not only by their presence on the list but also by significant trouble with law enforcement.

NFL: Many Prominent Names on the Commissioner’s Exempt List

Jacobs is currently facing charges of assault and property damage stemming from an arrest in May. He was originally accused, among other things, of strangling his girlfriend.

Arnold, meanwhile, was arrested in June on eight serious charges related to a robbery and kidnapping that occurred in February.

Jonathon Cooper also faces multiple charges after being arrested twice in June for domestic violence. Among other things, he is alleged to have choked his girlfriend.

But what does it mean for these players to be on the Commissioner’s Exempt List?

NFL: What Exactly Is the Commissioner’s Exempt List?

The NFL Playbook defines the list as “a special player status available to teams only under exceptional circumstances.” The list serves as a sort of placeholder and is intended to give NFL teams a certain amount of flexibility in roster management.

This designation prevents the player in question from counting toward the 53-man roster limit.

Important: Franchises themselves cannot place individual players on the list. Only the Commissioner has the authority to do so—and, of course, the authority to remove players from the list.

NFL: How Does the Commissioner’s Exempt List Work?

Technically speaking, placement on the list is not a suspension; however, during this time, the player in question is not permitted to practice with the team or play for it.

Important: The key difference from a suspension is that a player on the Exempt List continues to receive his salary.

NFL: How long does a player remain on the Commissioner’s Exempt List?

There is no set time limit for remaining on the list. The duration is entirely at the Commissioner’s discretion.

Roger Goodell is also authorized to determine in advance whether a player’s time on the list will be limited—or whether the player must remain on it for as long as Goodell deems appropriate.

NFL: Who Ends Up on the Commissioner’s Exempt List?

The examples of Josh Jacobs, Terrion Arnold, and Jonathon Cooper make it clear what kind of players typically end up on the list.

These are athletes who have run afoul of the law. This can involve a wide variety of offenses. In addition to serious crimes such as domestic violence, robbery, or kidnapping, players who have violated the league’s drug policy have also been placed on the list.

Commissioner’s Exempt List: What examples have there been?

In recent years, several prominent names have ended up on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. As early as 2007, longtime Jets quarterback Michael Vick (then with the Falcons) was placed on the list after he was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for illegal dogfighting.

A significant increase has been observed since 2014. At that time, running back Adrian Peterson was placed on the list after being charged with child abuse for hitting his son with a tree branch.

In the years that followed, other prominent names such as Kareem Hunt and CeeDee Lamb also found themselves on the list.

By the way: Before 2014, when the NFL updated its code of conduct, players could be added to the list for entirely different reasons.

Among them was Buccaneers running back Jeff Demps, who had won a silver medal as a sprinter on the U.S. relay team at the 2012 Olympics and, the following year, skipped training camp and the preseason to compete in track and field events in Europe.

As a result, he was placed on the list to give the Bucs time to properly evaluate his physical condition without him counting against the 53-man roster and requiring another player to be cut immediately.

Commissioner’s Exempt List: Do missed games count toward a suspension?

A suspension is still possible even if the player in question is no longer on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.

Thus, the list is merely a tool used by the Commissioner to ensure that an athlete does not appear in public as an NFL player during a sensitive investigation or situation.

However, game days a player missed while on the Commissioner’s Exempt List are counted toward a penalty imposed later. So, for example, if a player were suspended for six games but had already missed four games on the list at the time of the suspension, he would only have to sit out two more games.