Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has the most penalized team in football.
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During Forrest Gregg’s forgettable four seasons as the Green Bay Packers’ head coach, his teams consistently ranked among the NFL’s most undisciplined.
The Packers finished second in the league in penalties in 1986, then were first in football in 1987.
Green Bay also became known as cheap shot artists after defensive lineman Charles Martin wore a “Hit List” towel and found one of his targets during a 1986 game against Chicago. Martin violently body slammed Bears quarterback Jim McMahon long after a play ended and drew a two-game suspension. McMahon didn’t play again that year.
Today’s Packers aren’t resorting to tactics like that. But when it comes to total penalties, they’re eclipsing Gregg’s teams — and every other team in NFL history.
Today’s Packers under eighth-year coach Matt LaFleur are averaging an NFL-high 13.0 penalties per game. Green Bay’s 115.5 penalty yards per game are also the most in football.
If the Packers continue at that clip, they’d break the NFL record for most penalties and penalty yards in a season.
“We’ve got to take a look at it,” LaFleur said.
You think?
Somehow, the Packers survived 14 penalties and 133 penalty yards and edged the New York Jets, 20-17, in overtime Sunday. That came on the heels of 12 penalties for 98 yards in a Week 1 loss to Minnesota.
LaFleur’s first four teams in Green Bay were consistently among the least penalized in football. Today, the Packers look like the 1970s Oakland Raiders.
From 2019-2022, the Packers had an average finish of seventh in the NFL in fewest penalties with 85.5 per season. In 2021, Green Bay had the league’s fewest penalties with just 69 — or 4.1 per game.
The Packers have headed south ever since.
From 2023-2025, Green Bay finished 25th, 23rd and 15th in penalties per season. The Packers averaged 6.3 penalties per game in those seasons.
The 2026 Packers are making those teams look like altar boys, though.
Green Bay’s 13.0 penalties per game are well ahead of the runner-up New York Jets (10.5). The Packers are also on pace to shatter the NFL record of 10.2 penalties per game set by the 2011 Oakland Raiders.
Green Bay’s 115.5 penalty yards per game are also on pace to crush the NFL record of 84.9 set by those same 2011 Oakland Raiders.
“Yeah, I think that’s definitely an area we’ve got to improve on,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “That’s two weeks where we’ve had a lot of penalties that just put us back. Those are things that stop drives, put you behind the sticks obviously and it’s tough to overcome. That’s an area we’ve got to focus, clean up, figure out what’s going on, especially on just pre-snap alignment penalties, things like that. Definitely an area we’ve got to improve.”
The Packers were flagged six times in the first quarter against the Jets — four were accepted — and they never slowed down.
Javon Bullard was hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty early on after he broke up a third down pass to Adonai Mitchell, then chirped for several seconds at the Jets receiver. Christian Watson also had a holding penalty, Karl Brooks jumped off sides to give the Jets a first down, and cornerback Kamal Hadden was called for holding during a punt return.
In the second quarter, Keisean Nixon was hit with a 34-yard pass interference penalty against Mitchell that helped set up a Jets touchdown.
In the third quarter, Green Bay rookie edge Dani Dennis-Sutton was called for holding on a Jets punt and the Packers started a drive at their own 3-yard line. Tight end Tucker Kraft was flagged for holding early in the quarter, left tackle Jordan Morgan was called for a false start and Lukas Van Ness was flagged for roughing the passer.
In the fourth quarter, rookie Chris McClellan had his second costly penalty in as many weeks, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty after a punt. Later, Anthony Belton was called for two holding penalties and Jordan Morgan was also called for holding. Belton’s second holding penalty wiped out a Jordan Love touchdown run.
“The ones that are just mind-blowing are just the false starts, jumping offsides, lining up offsides,” LaFleur said. “Those are the ones that’ll get you beat.”
A head coach that can’t fix a problem will get you beat, too.
Whether or not LaFleur can fix this one remains to be seen.
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