A tough loss in Detroit left one of Green Bay’s top defenders with plenty to say, and he was not worried about the consequences.
Packers safety Xavier McKinney sharply criticized the officiating after Green Bay lost to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, saying he would rather pay a fine than stay quiet.
What did Xavier McKinney say about the refs?
Xavier McKinney, an All-Pro, said he was not a fan of the officials and did not think the officiating was good, using profanity to describe many of the calls.
He said penalties on critical drives were killing Green Bay’s momentum, even when the defense was getting stops. He added that players and fans can all see what is going on.
Xavier McKinney said he did not care whether the league fined him for his comments, because he would rather help his team.
Which calls upset the Packers?
Green Bay was flagged for two more roughing the passer penalties, giving the team eight through seven games. Edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. was flagged for hitting Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the third quarter, and defensive tackle Karl Brooks was flagged on Detroit’s winning drive.
Cox said he was not sure what he could have done differently and suggested officials should be able to tell the difference between intentional and unintentional contact. Brooks declined to comment.
The most disputed call came in the third quarter. A Lions receiver appeared to go down after a gain of 4 yards, then got up and kept running. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt tackled him again, and the receiver accidentally knocked down the umpire, who threw a flag from the ground for unnecessary roughness on Wyatt.
Was a whistle blown?
Nobody seems sure. The referee said in a pool report that officials ruled the play was over and that he could not honestly hear whether there was a whistle. He said Wyatt tackled the receiver again with force after the play ended.
Wyatt said he never heard a whistle and would make the same play 100 times. He argued that if he had let the receiver go and he scored, everyone would have blamed him.
The Packers head coach argued the call during the game but declined to discuss penalties afterward, saying the team has to play above it. He did say he never heard a whistle on the Wyatt play.
The penalty gave Detroit a first down at the Green Bay 11. Two plays later, Goff threw a touchdown pass of 10 yards to Jameson Williams for a 17 to 14 lead. A Packers cornerback called it a terrible call.
Did the officials cost Green Bay the game?
Not everyone shares Xavier McKinney’s view. A Packers tight end said the officials did not lose the game, adding that Green Bay had the game and gave it away.
The Packers scored just once in three trips to the red zone. Rookie kicker Trey Smack missed a short field goal wide right in the first quarter and had another attempt partially blocked with just over three minutes left. That kick would have given Green Bay a lead of 20 to 17. The first miss came from 26 yards.
What is next for Xavier McKinney and the Packers?
Green Bay fell to four wins and three losses. The league could review Xavier McKinney’s comments for a possible fine, though it has not announced any action. NFL players are often fined for publicly criticizing officials.
For Xavier McKinney and the Packers, the bigger challenge is cleaning up penalties and finishing drives before frustration turns into a losing streak.
