Packers’ Quay Walker apologizes for shoving Lions trainer during Week 18 loss to Detroit

Packers starting linebacker Quay Walker was ejected from Green Bay’s Sunday Night Football game with the Lions after shoving a Detroit coach who was trying to tackle running back D’Andre Swift. The incident occurred with just under eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ eventual loss that eliminated them from playoff consideration.

Jared Goff completed a short pass to Swift, who took the ball 2 yards to the Green Bay 9-yard line before going down hard while being tackled by Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Swift was on the court in obvious pain, which then prompted a group of trainers to come onto the court to tend to him.

As one tried to get through the players to Swift, he collided with Walker, who then pushed him. Once the officials realized what Walker did, he was ejected from the game and the Packers were given a 5-yard penalty.

Before this ill-advised moment, Walker had a solid game for himself as he tried to keep Green Bay’s playoff hopes alive, totaling seven tackles. After being sent off, Walker could be seen very emotional returning to the dressing room.

This isn’t the first time Walker has let his emotions get the better of him to the point where he’s walked out of a game. In Week 8, he was ejected after pushing a Bills practice squad player on the sideline after a play.

“This is unacceptable,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Walker’s actions after the game. “I have a much higher standard for our players than to do stupid things like that. We’ve got a guy sent off twice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career. We’ve got to be a lot tougher mentally. Whenever our guys make personal fouls, I take it very personally because I think it’s always a reflection of myself and the standards we set for these players. And we have to be better and we have to learn from it because is unacceptable”.

On Monday morning, Walker took to social media to publicly apologize for the incident.

“I want to publicly apologize for what happened Sunday night,” Walker wrote on Twitter. “I reacted back to my emotions and took full responsibility for making another stupid decision. Ever since then I’ve asked myself why I did what I did when the coach was doing his job!! I was wrong!! I understand that I have to to face everything that comes with the decision I made and I’m definitely paying for it now.

“Also to explain my frustration in the tunnel. I wasn’t upset that I got kicked out, I just knew I messed up again and I was wrong for what I did and I couldn’t believe I did it again. To the Detroit Lions and the entire staff coach, including the person who did it, I’m sorry.”

Walker was the No. 1 pick. 22 overall by the Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft last spring out of Georgia. Coming into Week 18, he tallied 114 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.