GREEN BAY, WI — The Green Bay Packers just made it clear: no amount of potential will excuse a lack of discipline.
It was game-week before Sunday’s showdown with the Cleveland Browns, and one rookie learned the hard way what happens when personal mistakes cross the line.
The offensive lineman, Sean Rhyan, a 3rd-round pick in 2022, showed up to practice visibly intoxicated. Sources say he arrived late to the morning walkthrough, disoriented, the smell of alcohol noticeable. This was not just being tired — teammates say actions made it obvious it was more than that.
Head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t hesitate.
“You want to party?” LaFleur’s voice boomed across the field, freezing nearby players.
“Fine. You can party unemployed. Pack your stuff. You’re done here.”
Rhyan reportedly had gone out the night before, despite the team’s schedule leading into an important game. What might have been forgiven in a less demanding situation became nonnegotiable in Green Bay — a city and a team known for holding its players to high standards.
“There’s a line you don’t cross,” said one veteran Packer. “Especially when you haven’t solidified your spot yet.”
Though Rhyan has shown flashes in his appearances, starting jobs are earned in this league, not given. Once he walked in intoxicated, that earned respect vanished — irreversibly in this instance.
LaFleur has long preached accountability and preparation. “This is a standard we live by,” he said later. “In Green Bay, the logo on your helmet means something. You show us you don’t belong, we show you the door. We don’t cut on emotion — we cut when there’s clear disrespect for what this team stands for.”
Shortly after, Rhyan left the Packers’ practice facilities. By that afternoon, he was officially waived. He refused to comment on the record.
