Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Getty
Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers speaks to the media after the game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on September 07, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The NFL Annual League Meeting began on March 30 in Phoenix, Arizona, and Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was not short on comments about his team when asked by reporters.
One of the most telling moments of the day, though, came when LaFleur admitted there was player discontent within the locker room last season — something he said “took a toll on our football team.”
“I think, if I’m being honest about it, there was some guys who were upset about roles last year. I think that took a toll on our football team,” LaFleur said, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood. “So, you need guys who bring great energy every day.
“I think from a coaching standpoint, role clarity is key. So, we obviously got to do a better job communicating with our players, hey, here’s your role. And if you’re unhappy about your role, it’s on you to do something about that, to carve out a bigger role on this football team. So, yeah, the buy-in is absolutely critical, getting guys who are juiced that are ready to work each and every day.”
Since those comments, LaFleur hasn’t exactly received glowing reactions.
Matt LaFleur Draws Criticism Following Honest Admission
Grant Bilse of Wisco Sports Show didn’t hold back when reacting to LaFleur’s comments.
“The next time Matt LaFleur speaks and makes me feel better about the direction of the Packers will be the first time in a long time,” Bilse said.
the next time Matt LaFleur speaks and makes me feel better about the direction of the Packers will be the first time in a long time
— Grant Bilse (@WiscoGrant) March 30, 2026
CheeseheadTV’s Greg Meinholz also weighed in, pointing to what he viewed as a rare moment of accountability — but with skepticism about whether it will last.
“Everyone bookmark this: This is LaFleur being directly questioned on player discontent with his leadership and him taking responsibility & telling how he needs to be better,” Meinholz wrote. “But months from now, again, something something not held accountable by media, not asked tough questions.”
Everyone bookmark this:
This is LaFleur being directly questioned on player discontent with his leadership and him taking responsibility & telling how he needs to be better
But months from now, again, something something not held accountable by media, not asked tough questions. https://t.co/3dig0ANLrs
— Greg Meinholz 🧀 (@gmeinholz) March 30, 2026
LaFleur was also asked about his underwhelming NFLPA report card grade, which reflected some of that same frustration from players.
“You kind of try to take that with a grain of salt,” LaFleur said. “You certainly don’t want to dismiss that stuff. You got to look into it. I feel pretty confident in my conversations with a majority of our players. But certainly a certain amount of our players felt a certain type of way.”
Longtime Packers writer Michael Rodney offered a more humorous — but pointed — response.
“LaFleur sounds like me trying to explain my C- in Spanish 3 to my parents.”
Late-Season Collapse Still Looming Over Packers
The criticism didn’t come out of nowhere.
The Packers lost their final five games of the season, including a playoff exit at the hands of the Chicago Bears. That stretch only added fuel to concerns about LaFleur’s ability to keep the team on track late in the year.
Blown leads have become a recurring issue during his tenure, something LaFleur acknowledged is top of mind heading into 2026.
“That’s been on the forefront of my mind,” LaFleur said when discussing the team’s inability to finish games. “It definitely starts with the mentality but it’s got to be in everything we do.
“That is the one thing we did not do last year. We lost way too many games late in the game, that we had leads or just had opportunities to close people out and we didn’t get it done.”
Despite the late-season collapse and growing criticism, the Packers still chose to extend LaFleur on a multi-year deal.
Now, the pressure shifts to whether those issues — both in the locker room and on the field — can actually be fixed.