The Green Bay Packers will be challenged right out of the gate to start the 2025 season with their matchup against the defending NFC North champions, the Detroit Lions, at Lambeau Field.
With this being an opportunity for the Packers to get an early leg up on their chief competition for the division crown, head coach Matt LaFleur is going out of his way to ensure that Dan Campbell's Lions do not have any idea what the offensive line in front of Jordan Love will look like as they try to keep the signal-caller upright.
To do just that, LaFleur played coy with the media on Thursday morning when fielding questions about who the starters will be in the trenches.
Who will the Packers starting left tackle be?
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 28, 2025
LaFleur: “We shall see next week.”
Has LaFleur decided who it will be?
“Maybe.”
Packers' Matt LaFleur Already Playing Mind Games with Detroit Lions
LaFleur and the rest of Green Bay's roster stand nothing to gain by disclosing its depth chart to that week's opponent before they absolutely have to. In no scenario does allowing for a team like the Lions to come up with additional options up front long before the two are scheduled to even meet in a preseason game.
By not giving away who the starting left tackle will be for the Packers, Detroit's coaching staff will be forced to go through all of the top options available to Green Bay before locking on their target. While this won't be the factor that changes the outcome of the game, it could be something that benefits LaFleur and company, especially early on, in this matchup.
With Rasheed Walker and Jordan Morgan battling it out for the right to be the top protector of Jordan Love, Green Bay has a young veteran on its roster in Walker to go along with 2024 first-round draft pick Morgan.
Whether or not these mind games have any great impact on the Lions remains to be seen, but it is hard to fault LaFleur for trying to pick up whatever mental edge he hopes to have in the season opener.