LaFleur Calls Jordan Love’s Blind Ref Costume Hilarious but Won’t Say More

• Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday that quarterback Jordan Love sent him a clip of his Halloween costume and that he found it hilarious, per CBS Sports.
• Love and his wife, Ronika Stone, dressed as blind referees six days after Green Bay’s 20-17 loss to the Lions on Oct. 25.
• Packers safety Xavier McKinney was fined $25,000 for criticizing the officiating after that game.

A Coach Who Laughed and Then Stopped Himself

Matt LaFleur was asked on Thursday about the costume his quarterback wore for Halloween, and the Green Bay Packers coach answered in two parts. First came the laugh. Then came the brake.

“He did send me the clip, and I thought it was pretty hilarious,” LaFleur said. “But I probably should refrain from giving my two cents on that.”

The second sentence carries the story. Packers players have already spoken about the officiating, and the coach in charge of them chose not to add his own view.

What Love and Stone Wore

Jordan Love and Ronika Stone dressed as blind refs. They carried walking sticks and wore sunglasses, and after they bumped into each other, both threw a flag. Stone shared a video of the duo on her TikTok account.

The Packers played the Lions in Week 7 on Oct. 25 and lost 20-17 in a game that featured several controversial calls against Green Bay. Lions quarterback Jared Goff later defended coach Dan Campbell’s fourth-and-1 call late in that game. Love’s costume appeared six days after it. Several Packers players had openly complained about the officiating by then.

When a TikTok commenter pointed out that Love might get fined for the costume, Stone replied, “We’re Footlocker employees.”

What the League Does About Criticism of Officials

The NFL fines players for criticizing officials, and the Packers have already paid once. Safety Xavier McKinney spoke after the Lions game.

“I don’t know how the NFL’s going to treat it, but I’m not a big fan of the refs right now,” McKinney said. “I don’t think it’s great officiating, if I’m being completely honest. I think it’s bullshit a lot of the times.”

The league fined McKinney $25,000 for those comments. That figure is also the minimum fine for a player who criticizes an official.

Precedent reaches beyond game week. Last year, Puka Nacua was fined $25,000 for criticizing officials while being interviewed on a podcast on his own time.

The Climate Around Officials This Year

The costume arrives in a season with plenty of friction between the league and the people who work its games. Earlier this season, two officials were each suspended for one game after a confrontation with a player. Coaches have drawn the league’s attention as well. In October, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and Jets coach Aaron Glenn each received a $250,000 fine for their conduct toward game officials.

Coaches elsewhere have talked about flags this season too. Giants coach John Harbaugh said he hoped the league would explain a rare helmet penalty on Cam Skattebo.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he did not see the false start that erased an apparent touchdown.

LaFleur spoke at an official team press conference, which is a different setting from a TikTok clip posted by a quarterback’s wife. Asked about the costume, he kept his own opinion to himself.

What Was Left Unsaid

LaFleur gave a laugh and a boundary. Players face a minimum fine of $25,000 for criticizing an official, and three coaches were each fined $250,000 in October for conduct toward officials.

No fine against Love, Stone or LaFleur has been reported. For now, the costume stands as a joke the Packers coach enjoyed and chose not to explain.