Colin Cowherd on Monday labeled the Green Bay Packers a soft team that cannot close out games after their latest late collapse, extending a losing streak that now stretches across two seasons.
The comments came on “The Herd” one day after Green Bay fell 39-22 to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 season opener. The Packers led 22-10 in the third quarter before Minnesota scored the final 29 points.
“Smart teams take leads. Physical, tough teams seal the game. They can’t seal wins… Green Bay is a soft team. I’m sorry, but they are,” Cowherd said while discussing coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers’ six-game losing streak.
The official account for Cowherd’s show posted the clip Monday afternoon. It quickly circulated among NFL fans still digesting another Green Bay meltdown.
Green Bay has not won a meaningful game since Dec. 7, 2025. The current skid includes the final stretch of last season, a Wild Card playoff loss and Sunday’s opener. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noted it is the Packers’ longest losing streak since the 1990-91 seasons.
In four of those six losses, Green Bay held a lead of at least nine points in the second half. Three of the four came against NFC North opponents.
Sunday followed a familiar script. Jordan Love threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Christian Watson had six catches for 147 yards and both scores. The Packers controlled the first 40-plus minutes.
Then the game slipped away. LaFleur elected to take a made 40-yard field goal off the board after an offsides penalty, opting for a fourth-and-1 sneak that failed. Minnesota, with Carson Wentz replacing an injured Kyler Murray, capitalized. Three consecutive Packers penalties extended a Vikings scoring drive.
Green Bay was outscored 29-0 over the final 18 minutes.
LaFleur did not hide from the pattern afterward.
“It’s going to be a topic of conversation for all you guys until we do it,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”
He also defended the fourth-down call.
“We’re going to be aggressive,” LaFleur said. “It was going to be an eight-point game. If it would have been a two-possession game, I probably would have thought otherwise.”
Cowherd has questioned Green Bay’s toughness before. The latest remarks land as LaFleur begins his eighth season with a new contract and lingering questions about the team’s identity.
The Packers finished 9-7-1 last year and reached the playoffs for a third straight season. They have not won the NFC North since 2021. The division now features an improved Bears offense, a Lions team that remains physical, and a Vikings club that just staged a historic comeback.
Love’s supporting cast includes playmakers, but late-game execution and physicality have been recurring issues. The offensive line struggled to protect him as the Vikings turned up the pressure. Defensive penalties compounded the problem.
Green Bay travels to face the New York Jets on Sunday. A 0-2 start would intensify scrutiny on LaFleur and the roster’s ability to finish.
Cowherd’s critique is pointed but not isolated. Multiple analysts have noted the Packers’ habit of building leads and then failing to impose their will when games tighten. Sunday offered another example: a team that looked in control until it did not.
Whether the comments motivate Green Bay or simply add to the noise remains to be seen. The Packers have talked all offseason about finishing better. So far, the results have not changed.
The franchise that once defined toughness in the NFL now finds itself answering questions about softness in September. That is the reality Cowherd put into blunt terms Monday.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the next few weeks will test whether the identity can shift before the losing streak defines the season.
