The Green Bay Packers opened their 2026 season in a way that invited plenty of doubt. A Week 1 collapse, followed by an underwhelming first month, made it fair to wonder whether Matt LaFleur was feeling the heat after the team’s frustrating 2025 playoff collapse.
That conversation has quieted down fast.
Over his last five games, LaFleur has guided Green Bay to a 4-1 record, with the only loss coming against the Detroit Lions in a game the source describes as one where the Lions were unquestionably on the right side of some head-scratching calls. Along the way, the Packers rolled past the Chicago Bears and then dominated the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football on a short week.
That stretch matters because LaFleur has been doing it without easy answers. The run game has offered none, and the offensive line has been battered into what the source calls the walking wounded. Even with those issues hanging over the offense, Green Bay has started to look like a playoff contender again.
A big part of that has been LaFleur’s ability to keep the offense functional and give Jordan Love chances to make plays when it counts. The Packers have leaned on the defense of Jonathan Gannon and the playmaking of Love, and there’s a resilience showing up in this roster that the team has lacked in recent seasons.
LaFleur’s creativity has been central to that shift. He has found ways to build a workable offense and put Love in position to deliver in clutch moments, and that deserves more attention than it has received.
Around the NFC North, most of the coaching buzz has gone to the flashier Chicago Bears or the surprising defense of the Minnesota Vikings. Brian Flores and Ben Johnson have gotten plenty of the spotlight. But what LaFleur is doing with less healthy talent is the more impressive coaching job.
For Green Bay, the turnaround also feeds into the identity of a disrespected underdog. That fits a head coach whose playoff record has been questioned since Aaron Rodgers left and whose seat had started to warm before this recent surge.
Now the question is how far this can go if the Packers keep exceeding expectations. The offensive line may not stay this beat up forever, and star defender Micha Parsons is expected back in the lineup at some point. For now, though, LaFleur has already done the hard part: he steadied a season that was wobbling and found a way to win.
In Other News...
Packers Walk Into A Patriots Moment That Will Dominate This Week
The Week 9 trip to New England already had a little extra shine for the Packers, and now it has a broadcast wrinkle to match. Tom Brady is set to call a Patriots game at Gillette Stadium for the first time in his broadcasting career when Green Bay visits Foxborough, adding another layer of attention to a matchup that was already going to draw plenty of eyes.
Brady said he is excited to return to the stadium where so many of his biggest moments unfolded, while Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and others around the organization have been taking stock of the occasion. The conversation around the game has also drifted toward Rob Gronkowskis upcoming Hall of Fame induction, giving this week in Foxborough a distinctly Patriots flavor even before the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Trade Buzz Just Raised The Stakes For This Defense
With the NFL trade deadline drawing near, Green Bay has started to look like a team that could be more than a bystander. The Packers have reason to explore help on defense, especially with Micah Parsons expected back from injury, and the idea of adding another proven edge presence has only sharpened the conversation around how aggressive they want to be.
One name that has surfaced in that discussion is Khalil Mack, a veteran pass rusher who would give Green Bay another disruptive piece if the Chargers decide to listen. Los Angeles has stumbled this season, which only adds to the intrigue around whether a player of Macks caliber could become available, and for the Packers the appeal is obvious: a chance to deepen a defense that could get a lot more dangerous if the right move is made. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Puts Packers On Edge As NFL Wait Continues
Josh Jacobs situation has taken another turn as the Packers wait for the NFLs next move. The running back is already back in the middle of a difficult legal and league process after missing six games on the commissioner-exempt list following his May arrest, and recently released police records have now added fresh allegations from three women involving physical and verbal abuse.
For Green Bay, the uncertainty is the real issue. Jacobs has said he believes in his legal defense and expects to stay on the field for the rest of the season, but the NFL investigation is still ongoing, leaving the team to monitor a case that could continue to hang over its backfield. If the league eventually acts, any suspension would likely be applied against the games he has already missed, which only adds another layer to a situation the Packers would rather not have lingering into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]