The Green Bay Packers just concluded their second preseason game on Saturday, knocking off the Indianapolis Colts 23-19 after falling short in the first contest by a score of 30-10.
There was a lot of good to take away from the victory, though there's always plenty to learn when you're preparing to try to compete for a Super Bowl championship. Head coach Matt LaFleur is one of the brightest minds in the NFL and knows a teaching opportunity when he sees one, so he wasted no time in addressing a growing problem.
Second-round rookie Anthony Belton had a night to forget. It's a learning experience, though one that needs to be nipped in the bud quickly if he's going to make an impact on the 2025 playoff hopes.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur on OL Anthony Belton’s penalties and effort in Green Bay’s win over Indianapolis👇
— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) August 16, 2025
“I love the effort. It’s just that you got to be smart in those situations.” pic.twitter.com/fFqnibvPbS
Matt LaFleur Calls Out Rookie OL Anthony Belton After Embarrassing Preseason Performance
"I love the effort," LaFleur said about Belton. "It's just that you got to be smarter than that in those situations."
What was LeFleur referring to? Well, an extremely undisciplined approach to the game that left Belton routinely setting the offense behind the sticks in key moments. Belton is expected to serve as a backup right tackle in 2025, yet this is still an unacceptable result for someone drafted so highly.
#Packers rookie Anthony Belton on five-penalty first half: "It's just underperforming. Getting penalties like that, that's not the standard that I hold myself to. You've just got to bounce back from it."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 16, 2025
The 24-year-old committed a whopping five penalties in the first half alone. "It's just underperforming," Belton said after the game. "Getting penalties like that, that's not the standard that I hold myself to. You've just got to bounce back from that."
He makes a fair point and to his credit, there's a reason Belton was drafted in the second round. Nicknamed "Escalade" in honor of the famous And1 basketball player, the 6-foot-6, 345-pound tackle has an overwhelming physical profile and enough athleticism to avoid these types of mistakes. With the right development, he can become a long-term starter in Green Bay and a perfect fit for the offense.
Five penalties can't happen, though. If Belton is going to overcome these rookie errors and reach his potential, discipline will be important. After the struggles of 2024 first-round tackle Jordan Morgan, Green Bay can ill-afford to whiff on another highly-drafted offensive lineman.
Becton's next chance to prove himself will come on Saturday in the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks. There are no expectations for him to start quickly, but should an unexpected injury happen, he could be thrown into the mix sooner than planned. If that happens, he'll have to clean up the technique quickly.
LaFleur believes Becton can be great. Now, it's time to prove it.