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The Green Bay Packers suffered plenty of mental miscues in their Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions, but one major mistake could lead to one of the team’s more promising defenders being suspended.
During the fourth quarter of Green Bay’s regular season finale, play was stopped after Lions running back De’Andre Swift stayed down with an injury. After a Detroit trainer ran onto the field, Packers rookie linebacker Quay Walker was seen shoving the trainer, resulting in a flag and an eventual ejection after a discussion with the officials.
The ejection was Walker’s second of the season, and one that resulted in a frustrated reaction from head coach Matt LaFleur. Mike Tanier with Football Outsiders suggested that Walker deserved a one-year suspension following the incident, considering that this was his second ejection involving a physical altercation with someone who wasn’t a player on the field.
The morning after the game, the rookie linebacker issued an apology on Twitter.
“I want to apologize publicly about what happened Sunday night,” Walker said. “I reacted off of my emotions again and take full responsibility for making another stupid decisions. Since then I’ve questioned myself on why did I do what I did when the trainer was doing his job!! I was wrong!!”
Walker went on in the thread to apologize directly to the Lions team and their training staff for the altercation.
A Tumultuous Rookie Season for Quay Walker
Just when it looked like Walker was turning around his rookie season, the young linebacker suffered another setback due to poor judgement.
Expectations were high for Walker coming out of college. The 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Walker was an imposing force on Georgia’s national championship-winning defense. At 6’4″ and 240 pounds, his imposing frame and play strength made him an exciting prospect for the Packers, who also drafted his teammate in defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt in the same round.
Walker’s season looks solid when just looking at the box score. He finished the season with 75 solo tackles, 121 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. The production was there, but Walker’s film showed a player who struggled at times with the mental component of the game.
The mental struggles turned into frustration at times for the 22-year-old. However, if he can focus on emotional and mental maturity over the offseason, there’s a chance that Walker can make these ejections a thing of the past as he focuses on becoming the next star linebacker in the NFL.
Mental Mistakes Were Everywhere for the Packers
In what seemed like a winnable game, the Packers couldn’t capitalize on dozens of chances to win and sneak into the playoffs. Along with missed opportunities, there were too many mental mistakes that cost the team.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas came up with another crucial mental error at the end of the first half. After the whistle blew a field goal attempt dead, Douglas received a 15-yard penalty for scuffling with Lions players after he attempted to swat the ball out of the long snapper’s hands. The penalty set the Lions up for a much easier field goal to head into halftime with only a three-point deficit.
A costly fumble from Aaron Jones along with some uncharacteristic throws from Aaron Rodgers resulted in a second half that the Packers just couldn’t recover from. Now, the team will be sitting at home for the playoffs while their future Hall of Fame quarterback contemplates retirement once again.
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