Jason Perone

If the Packers trade for Jonathan Taylor, it means they are moving on from Josh Jacobs. Here's the complexity: Josh Jacobs was never suspended. As such he currently qualifies for 100% termination pay - Meaning if released and he doesn't sign with another team the Packers will still owe and cap 100% of his $10.2m base salary. Only savings would be from not having to pay $41,176/game active the rest of the season. The Packers could release Jacobs for conduct detrimental to the team - but an arbitrator would have to conclude his conduct was so severe it would warrant more than a 4 game suspension for the Packers to not be on the hook for termination pay. A bit of a financial gamble. Packers certainly would have to hedge elsewhere, likely in a Jordan Love restructure and/or a Jonathan Taylor restructure after the trade to cover the $5.67m in remaining base salary cost if the arbitration doesn't go their way. The Packers don't have enough cap space to trade for Taylor, release Jacobs and pay his termination pay, and get through the rest of the season without restructuring or trading away other contracts. At this point in the season the only single meaningful contract to restructure would be Jordan Love ($3.83m). All others have small base salaries, but combined could scrap together a few million. If Packers use his conduct as the reason for the release and the league does eventually suspend him 4+ games (including time served on exempt list) then the Packers would see cap relief - around $5.67m in base salary relief and $535k in per-game bonuses (plus the base salary for the number of weeks suspended).