Matt LaFleur - Head Coach, packers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-20 | Full transcript (primary source).
Matt LaFleur, Head Coach of the Packers, addressed the media during a press conference on September 20, 2026, following a challenging game where the team demonstrated resilience despite facing injuries and a tough fourth quarter. He provided updates on player health and reflected on the team's performance, emphasizing their ability to fight back and secure a victory.
Transcript
LaFleur: All right, just want to give you guys an update Jaden Reed. He's got movement and all his extremities. He will be staying overnight. That was obviously a very scary deal anytime you see anybody down on the field and have to get carted off. And an update on Zach Tom that doesn't look good either as far as, you know, I think he could be out for a long time.
LaFleur: As far as the game is concerned, you know, I'm just so proud of our guys, you know, talk about resiliency being down ten points in the fourth quarter and our guys kept battling. So I think that, yeah, I know it wasn't always pretty but I thought defensively we did a great job just applying pressure on the quarterback doing a great job with our run defense. And then special teams were special. I thought that's a really good unit. It's one of the top in the league and I thought our guys did a great job of just flipping the field in many situations.
LaFleur: Obviously, it was great for Trey first walk off field goal. And just proud of how everybody stayed together and just kept fighting even when it was tough.
Reporter: So what do you make of winning a game like that? I mean you guys look dead in the water there on the fourth quarter.
LaFleur: Yeah, I mean it's hard to win in this league especially on the road and for our guys to continue to battle. I think hopefully that that'll give us some momentum moving forward because it was tough sledding there for about three quarters. And then I thought, you know, we were able to, we went up tempo and were able to get some positive plays and find a way to get the ball in the end zone. But certainly there's a lot to clean up there and I think most notably we put ourselves in a lot of bad situations whether it's a negative run whether it's a penalty. And then you're in these get-back-on-track situations and it's just a lot to overcome.
LaFleur: That was huge, you know, I can't give enough credit to our defense, our defensive staff, Jonathan Gannon just calling a very aggressive game. You know, I'm sure glad we got him because I think he's an elite defensive coordinator, football coach, and just a great leader.
Reporter: Did you feel the fourth and one stop the defense got later fourth order there? Did you feel that kind of carried over to the overtime?
LaFleur: Yeah, I think so, you know, it's unfortunate. You know, you'd like to go in the game right there and we didn't get it done offensively. So there's a lot of stuff we got to clean up in a short order and on a short week in order for us to just we need to see improvement.
Reporter: Surprised that you were able to at the end of regulation get the clock all the way that down there? I mean, I know it didn't work, but you were able to take a last shot at it I guess I thought maybe you just want to call time out and how did you manage that whole situation?
LaFleur: Oh, yeah, that was really confused by that and that's why we called a timeout and tried to hail Mary. Obviously, we knew they were gonna bring pressure and, you know, we just didn't, we weren't able to pick it up.
Reporter: Yeah, so the injury to a back over well a looks like things are dicey at left guard with Aaron Banks, how you gonna get the offensive line situated and get the run game?
LaFleur: Yeah. Well, we got to do it. It is what it is. Those are the circumstances. There's a lot of things that we don't control but we do control how we respond and guys are gonna have to step up and that's just the way it is. We're gonna have to do a great job coaching them up.
LaFleur: I loved the fact that our guys that stepped into the game whether it's Jagger, obviously Belton coming in and just competing and battling. In a matter of fact, there was a time we were down to four o'lineman. We were talking about having to put Tucker craft in a tackle when Monk was getting evaluated. So it just, I've never been a part of anything like that but it does come up from time to time.
Reporter: No, I think he, I don't know if he got a stinger or something. You'll need to go get up a lineman or go get a running back?
LaFleur: No, I'm not, that's not a question for me. I think we're gonna just continue to pour into our guys and coach them up and I think we got guys that are willing to battle and fight and that showed there in the end.
LaFleur: Might might be, yeah, he was all over the place. I thought, you know, he's really coming into his own and I think we've seen that, we've seen it all offseason. I think you even saw it flashes last year. He just see he was injured so much.
LaFleur: Yeah, I think he can be a very impactful player for us. I thought there was some good stuff, you know, I think, you know, and you start off overtime and he rips off, I was at a 12-yard run or something like that off the left side there. I thought, you know, he is a very good outside zone runner and just a natural runner. So we'll continue to work with him.
LaFleur: I mean, obviously there's some things that we can clean up but I think he's getting more comfortable with our offense, with the terminology, with our protection schemes. So he'll probably earn more opportunities. But like it was great to see really all three of those backs contributed in some facet.
LaFleur: Chris Brooks makes a big-time play on a check down at the end of the game and they get called for a personal foul that put us kind of in position to go win the game.
LaFleur: Yeah, that's, we got to take a look at it certainly the ones that where, you know, bull gets caught for a toning when we're off the grass, anything directed towards a player from another team even though that was his former teammate that the officials don't know what you're saying. So like you just, we got to keep emphasizing celebrating with each other and you can't do anything like that because it puts us in a tough situation.
LaFleur: But the ones that are just mind-blowing are the false starts, jumping off sides, lining up off sides. Those are the ones that will get you beat.
Reporter: I just talked about pressure and being able to perform even when it's not pretty. As you think I work with them has the ability to perform under pressure with increased as it got better?
LaFleur: Yeah, I think so. I think he, you know, one thing that we talk about quite often with our team is you got to have a one-play mindset and no matter what's happened whether it's bad or good you got to reset and play the next play and I think he's the epitome of that.
LaFleur: I think his poise is as good as anybody. He doesn't get rattled at all. Even when it's not going well, he doesn't get down, he doesn't get frustrated and he tries to rally the troops and I think, you know, we're lucky to have a guy like that because I think he's a stud.
Reporter: What was your message?
LaFleur: I'm sorry. It was just that just can continue to fight continue to battle. I mean, we're in a dogfight, but that's life in the National Football League. All these games are like that or I should say the majority of them are like that and you just got to keep battling and having that one-play mindset and never flinch in the face of adversity.
Reporter: You think having those two guys heard on the first three plays they both look like serious injuries you think that affected your team right after that?
LaFleur: Yeah, I mean, I don't think it certainly don't think it helped but you know, that's never an excuse. You just, it is what it is. It's an unfortunate part of this game but you know, it's you, you got to get ready to play the next play and that's easier said than done.
LaFleur: Thank you.
