Matt LaFleur sends blunt message to Packers players after Romeo Doubs suspension

The Green Bay Packers are moving forward with Romeo Doubs and aiming to put his one-game suspension behind them.

Doubs has the support of his teammates, although wide receiver Christian Watson admitted there might be "a few bumps in the road trying to get that togetherness and that family feeling back."

And that's understandable. The Packers are a team with a goal of winning football games and championships. It's not easy when a teammate and key player skips practice after reportedly being frustrated with his role.

There's a better way to handle those frustrations, which is why the Packers suspended Doubs for one game. They had to send a message to the rest of the locker room. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur explained the expectations for his players.

Packers' Matt LaFleur says there is a standard the players have to live by

LaFleur admitted that it was tough for the team to suspend Doubs, but it's a decision they had to make. He made his expectations clear.

"You never want to get to that point. That's why one thing that's so important for all of us involved is to communicate. If there's an issue, you've got to communicate so we can work it out together," said LaFleur. "There's a level. There's a standard that you have to live by. And if you don't, there's going to be consequences. I've made that very clear to our team."

LaFleur said he understood that every player has their own wants and goals, but the team comes first.

"Ultimately, we're in the business of winning. You've got to wrap your own desires under that team-first mentality," said LaFleur.

It's right. The Packers had to suspend Doubs. They set a high standard for their players. Doubs gave the team no choice by skipping practice unexpectedly. Had the Packers done nothing, it would have set a new standard and opened the door for other players to do the same.

Holding players accountable is important, and the Packers aren't afraid to suspend their own players if they feel it's necessary, regardless of the importance of the upcoming game. Last season, Green Bay suspended star cornerback Jaire Alexander for a must-win divisional game against the Minnesota Vikings.

It hurt the team to lose a key player, but the Packers set the standard their players must reach. As LaFleur said, there are "consequences" when those expectations aren't met.

Hopefully, the Doubs suspension is a thing of the past, and he can go back to being one of Jordan Love's favorite targets. The Packers won without him, but they will need him this season.

LaFleur wants to win, and he sent his team a clear message about the standard his players must live by.

More Packers news and analysis