The Green Bay Packers have opened the 2026 season with a 1-1 record, but the bigger number staring them down is the one attached to their flags. After two games, they already lead the league with 26 accepted penalties, and when offsetting and declined calls are included, that total climbs to 32.
That kind of start is hard to ignore. The Packers are five penalties clear of the New York Jets, who sit second with 21 accepted flags, and their pace is far worse than what they dealt with a year ago.
In 2025, Green Bay was penalized 134 times overall, with 112 accepted. Through two games this season, they’re already averaging 13 penalties per contest.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, that is the Packers’ most after two games since 1947. It’s a jarring stat for a team that has generally been known as fairly disciplined, and it’s already putting real strain on the way they’re playing.
Penalties have been especially costly in the moments that matter. Last week, six of Green Bay’s 13 flags came on third or fourth down. The week before, several penalties - some questionable, some not - helped extend a drive that changed the flow of the game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The issue is not just volume. It’s where and how these penalties are showing up. Foolish mistakes on key downs can wipe out good snaps in a hurry, and in a league where offenses can score quickly, that’s a fast way to lose control of a game.
Some of the damage can be trimmed. Calls such as unnecessary roughness, taunting, and unsportsmanlike conduct are the kinds of penalties players can clean up, even if every flag isn’t entirely in their control.
For now, the Packers have already been tagged for more than 230 penalty yards, and that’s a burden they can’t keep carrying. With instability already showing up along the offensive line and at running back, Green Bay can’t afford to stack self-inflicted mistakes on top of everything else.
The problem is obvious. The fix has to come soon.
In Other News...
Packers Face An Unusual Lambeau Threat Hours Before Kickoff
A Thursday night game at Lambeau Field usually brings the kind of demand that disappears long before kickoff, but this week has been different. The Packers still have roughly 700 primary tickets listed on the official market, and secondary-market prices have slipped as the matchup with the Falcons has approached, an unusual scene for a franchise known for a long streak of continuous sellouts.
The softening demand appears tied in part to Atlantas poor early-season record, which has not exactly turned this into a must-see draw for casual buyers. With kickoff only hours away, Green Bay may need to lean on pricing adjustments or other channels to move the remaining seats, a rare bit of game-day business intrigue for a place where tickets are usually the hard part. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Case Just Raised A Bigger Packers Question
The legal side of Josh Jacobs battery case took another turn this week when Judge Marc Hammer denied the motion to permanently seal the video evidence tied to the incident. Instead of disappearing into the court file, the material, including footage from inside Jacobs garage, will now be handled by the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department, which will be responsible for any public records requests.
For the Packers, the more immediate concern is the football side of a situation that still has no clear endpoint. Jacobs remains on the NFL commissioner exempt list as the league reviews the video, and the lack of a suspension announcement keeps the team in a waiting game, with an important roster question hanging over a player Green Bay expected to be part of its plans. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Face A Tougher Thursday Test At Lambeau Than Fans Expected
The Packers get an early chance to settle back into Lambeau on Thursday night, but this one is shaping up to be a little more demanding than the spread might suggest. Green Bay is favored by 4.5 points against Atlanta in the Week 3 opener, yet the matchup comes with enough uncertainty to keep things interesting, especially with the Packers dealing with offensive line injuries and the betting market leaning toward a lower-scoring game.
Atlanta has not exactly looked explosive through two weeks, but the Falcons do have Michael Penix, Jr. back at quarterback, which adds another layer to a game that already feels tighter than a typical home favorite would prefer. For Green Bay, the bigger concern is whether the front five can hold up well enough to let the offense function normally, because if this turns into the kind of grind the numbers are hinting at, every possession at Lambeau could matter. [Read more 🡒]