After trading for superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons just prior to the start of this season, the Green Bay Packers were tabbed as legitimate Super Bowl contenders by many people across the NFL.
But they had a disappointing regular season that ended with a four-game losing streak, including a dismal 16-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. They will still be in the playoffs, but due to their 9-7-1 regular-season record, they will be the seventh and final seed in the NFC, and they will open the playoffs against the hated Chicago Bears.
Now, there is a chance they will lose head coach Matt LaFleur not too long from now.
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LaFleur’s contract has one year left on it, and he wasn’t given an extension during the offseason. There have been rumblings that perhaps Green Bay will move on from him after its struggles this year, but ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter made it sound as if that may not happen.
Schefter seems to think Green Bay wants to retain LaFleur, but he said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that both sides will have to agree to an extension that is hefty enough.
“I think the bigger deal here is, can they figure out a contract of fair value to keep him there?” Schefter said. “I think that’s what this is about,” said Schefter. “… If they can’t figure out a contract that works for both sides, well then you have to ask yourself, are they willing to let him go into the last year of his deal, which he would be, or what do you do about that?
“… I believe the priority will be to re-sign him to an extension this offseason.”
LaFleur replaced Mike McCarthy, who coached Green Bay to its last Super Bowl championship in 2010, prior to the 2019 season. He has a 76-40-1 record as the Packers’ head coach, which may make anyone wonder why in the world the organization would even think about replacing him.
However, he is just 3-5 in the playoffs since taking over, despite having the luxury of almost always having a legitimate star at quarterback, whether it has been Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love. At least one of their playoff losses under LaFleur has been inexcusable, such as their 13-10 divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers four years ago, when a blocked punt led to a decisive touchdown for the Niners.
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The storied Packers are one of the few franchises in sports that measure success in terms of world championships, not by going deep in the playoffs or even making it to the championship round. On the other hand, they have been hit pretty hard by injuries this season, and perhaps that will end up being a built-in excuse for LaFleur as far as his job security.
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