A prominent leader on the Green Bay Packers roster said Wednesday that the team fostered a lack of accountability on the team, at least in 2018, and that a change in accountability culture is necessary.
First-team All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakthiari went on Wilde and Tausch on WTMJ sister station ESPN Milwaukee and described how the team failed to make certain players accountable who were not consistently on time.
“Guys being late to the plane, and no one holding other guys accountable or even fining them for being late,” said Bakhtiari.
“Guys here and there can show up a coupule minutes late for the plaes, meetings. It filters through. If you’re not going to hold one guy accountable for one situation, it’s going to slowly trickle in multiple avenues. That’s one things I noticed that I was not a fan of at all.”
The Packers let coach Mike McCarthy go after a tenure that lasted 12 full seasons and the first 12 games of 2018. McCarthy’s teams went to the playoffs nine times in that stretch, but went 7-8-1 in 2017 and 4-7-1 under McCarthy in 2018.
New coach Matt LaFleur takes over for McCarthy, but without naming any names, Bakhtiari is perhaps sending a message for how the inner sanctum of the Packers locker room needs to be run.
“There needs to be that fear with guys across the board. Your job is consistency-based, and you have to perform,” said Bakhtiari.
“You have to be a professional.”