GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers giving contract extensions to Head Coach Matt LaFleur and (reportedly quickly) General Manager Brian Gutekunst and Executive Vice President Russ Ball means Ed Policy has made his first massive choice as Packers President.
There are many who thought LaFleur needs to be proven the door after that playoff collapse towards the Bears. Instead, Policy took a deep breath and opted for stability.
LaFleur has been the Packers Head Coach for seven years. He has a glowing 76-40-1 document, however his common season success has not translated to the playoffs. He has but to get the Packers to the Super Bowl. For a franchise with 13 NFL Championships and 4 Super Bowl titles, that is the bar in “Titletown”.
Ed Policy clearly feels he has the suitable individuals in place. Strong endorsements for LaFleur from Jordan Love and Micah Parsons, amongst others, definitely helped. So did the truth that LaFleur would have been a scorching commodity on the NFL teaching market if the Packers let him go.
LaFleur most definitely must discover a new defensive coordinator. Jeff Hafley has interviewed for a number of head teaching jobs, and it is a good wager he will get one in all them (my guess is Miami and a reunion with new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan.)
And who will LaFleur report back to? Policy, in a continuation of the construction Mark Murphy put in place? Or Gutekunst, which might replicate how the Packers did issues for years?
We nonetheless do not know the solutions to these questions. We do know who the Packers Head Coach shall be in 2026.