In 2021 the Packers had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, so coach Matt LaFleur decided to rest his starters for the second half of their meaningless regular-season finale. That did not go well.
LaFleur said today that he plans to play all of the Packers’ healthy starters in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Bears, even though the Packers will probably be the No. 7 seed in the NFC whether they win or lose. LaFleur said his mindset is that everyone who can play should play, and he noted that coaches will always be criticized if their late-season decisions don’t go well.
“You’ve got a 53-man roster plus two call-ups, so guys gotta play, so that’s the approach that we take here,” LaFleur said. “The right answer is whatever works, and I think you’ve got to have a philosophy on what works best for you. We were in a similar situation a few years back where we played the guys a half, and lost in the second half, and then we had the bye and we lost in the playoffs. The right answer is whatever works, is really what I’ll tell you. I know you’re subject to criticism, and if it goes great that was the right way to do it, and if it doesn’t go the way you want it to, you learn from every experience.”
LaFleur said he’s always aware if any players are battling through injuries, but he doesn’t expect to be any more cautious about injured players playing than usual on Sunday against the Bears.
“I wouldn’t say more cautious. I think we’ve got to be very mindful of every situation, and guys that are dealing with stuff, we’ve just got to be mindful,” LaFleur said. “We’re playing to win. We always play to win games. So I don’t see our approach changing.”
LaFleur said he thinks that if the Packers turn in a good performance on Sunday it could benefit them in the playoffs.
“I think there’s value to going out there and playing, and playing well,” LaFleur said.
The Packers will likely open the playoffs at Philadelphia, which has clinched the No. 2 seed. LaFleur knows he needs to have his team ready for that game, and he thinks this week’s game will help in that process.
