The Green Bay Packers are bracing for a coaching exodus if Matt LaFleur returns to the team next season. The defense coordinator, Jeff Hafley, is expected to be let go in favor of LaFleur, who faces an uphill battle assembling a top-notch staff. The question on everyone's mind is whether LaFleur has enough job security and support from the front office to make bold moves in free agency and the draft.
High-ranking NFL officials are skeptical about LaFleur's ability to attract high-level assistants, citing concerns over his leadership style and lack of transparency. "Finding high-level people won't be easy," one league insider said. "Green Bay's a good place to work, but everything's not equal right now."
LaFleur will have to prove himself all over again, after the team parted ways with Mike McCarthy mid-season in 2018. The Packers' past experience of letting go assistant coaches like Sherman, who was stripped of his GM duties and left for New Orleans, shows that LaFleur must do more than just hire talented assistants - he needs to build a cohesive unit.
Hafley is the most likely candidate to be retained by LaFleur, given his impressive defensive performances in 2024. However, other assistant coaches like Luke Butkus may find themselves on a hot seat if their units fail to improve.
One area where LaFleur will face significant challenges is in the special teams department, which has been woefully ineffective under Rich Bisaccia. The Packers' ranking of 29th in kicking and 23rd in punt coverage last season suggests that finding a suitable replacement for Bisaccia may be easier said than done.
Overall, LaFleur's ability to assemble a strong coaching staff will be crucial to his success as the Packers' head coach. If he fails to bring in top talent, it could spell disaster for the team's future prospects.
High-ranking NFL officials are skeptical about LaFleur's ability to attract high-level assistants, citing concerns over his leadership style and lack of transparency. "Finding high-level people won't be easy," one league insider said. "Green Bay's a good place to work, but everything's not equal right now."
LaFleur will have to prove himself all over again, after the team parted ways with Mike McCarthy mid-season in 2018. The Packers' past experience of letting go assistant coaches like Sherman, who was stripped of his GM duties and left for New Orleans, shows that LaFleur must do more than just hire talented assistants - he needs to build a cohesive unit.
Hafley is the most likely candidate to be retained by LaFleur, given his impressive defensive performances in 2024. However, other assistant coaches like Luke Butkus may find themselves on a hot seat if their units fail to improve.
One area where LaFleur will face significant challenges is in the special teams department, which has been woefully ineffective under Rich Bisaccia. The Packers' ranking of 29th in kicking and 23rd in punt coverage last season suggests that finding a suitable replacement for Bisaccia may be easier said than done.
Overall, LaFleur's ability to assemble a strong coaching staff will be crucial to his success as the Packers' head coach. If he fails to bring in top talent, it could spell disaster for the team's future prospects.
just read that Green Bay is gonna be all over the place if Matt LaFleur comes back... defense coordinator getting axed and now they're worried about LaFleur getting good staffs? That's a lot of pressure on one guy... not sure how he'll handle it, especially after what happened with McCarthy mid-season. And don't even get me started on special teams... 29th in kicking is bad enough, but that punt coverage was straight fire 
. I mean, the defense was solid last year, but can they build on that? The league insider comment about finding high-level people not being easy is spot on – it's not just about slapping a big name on a resume, you gotta have the skills to back it up 
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. Rich Bisaccia needs to go, period. I'm curious to see how LaFleur approaches that role – if he doesn't make a change, it could be a huge problem 
. The Packers have a history of making some weird coaching decisions – Sherman anyone? 
. We all know what happened to Mike McCarthy, and it's scary when they strip away GM duties. Sherman was an example of that... we should learn from the past.
If LaFleur can't build a cohesive unit with all the talented assistants he hires, I think the Packers might be in for some problems 
. And what's up with this Hafley dude being the most likely candidate to stay? Sounds like a power play to me, LaFleur trying to consolidate his own power and get rid of anyone who might threaten him 
. And don't even get me started on the special teams department... they're gonna try to sweep that under the rug and hope nobody notices 
. I mean, come on guys, it's all about the optics and appearances if you ask me 
... like a Packers coach with a great mustache, but no actual skills 
... Jeff Hafley might be the only one who can bail him out 
, but even then, it's like trying to assemble a team from a bad fantasy football league – not guaranteed to win anything 
... and Rich Bisaccia's special teams woes are just the cherry on top 
... poor guy's gotta get his act together or he'll be the one getting sacked 
... all in all, LaFleur's got some 'splainin' to do 