The mood in Titletown is, honestly, a bit toxic right now. If you walked into a bar on Washington Street today and brought up the coach Green Bay Packers situation, you’d probably get an earful about fourth-quarter collapses and "soft" mentalities.
Matt LaFleur just finished his seventh season. On paper, the guy is a winner. 76-40-1 is a record most franchises would sell their souls for. But paper doesn't account for the absolute gut-punch that was the 31-27 Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears just a few days ago.
Blowing a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter to your biggest rival? Yeah, that leaves a mark.
The Contract Drama Nobody Saw Coming
The big news right now is the extension. Adam Schefter reported that the team and LaFleur are grinding away at a deal that would keep him in Green Bay well past 2026.
It makes sense for the front office. Ed Policy, the new President and CEO who officially took over from Mark Murphy in July 2025, hates the idea of a "lame duck" coach. He wants stability. He’s known LaFleur since the 2019 hire and, basically, trusts the process.
But here’s the kicker: negotiations are getting messy.
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Word on the street is LaFleur wants to be paid like a top-five guy, somewhere north of $15 million a year. Right now, he’s sitting in the $8 million to $9 million range. When you realize Ben Johnson is making $13 million in Chicago as a first-year head coach, you can see why Matt's agent is playing hardball.
Why the Seat is Kinda Hot
If you look at the 2025 season, it was a rollercoaster that ended in a ditch.
The Packers were 5-1-1 at one point. They looked like Super Bowl contenders. Then the injuries hit. Losing Micah Parsons to a torn ACL in Week 15 against Denver was the beginning of the end. Without that pass rush, the defense turned into a sieve.
Then there's the discipline. Or lack of it.
Against the Bears in the playoffs, the Packers had a delay of game penalty immediately after taking a timeout. That is inexcusable at the professional level. LaFleur admitted it himself in the post-game presser, calling it "inexcusable."
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- The "Composure" Issue: LaFleur keeps mentioning the team needs more "composure."
- The Special Teams Disaster: Rich Bisaccia’s unit was ranked in the bottom three this year. They missed crucial kicks in Cleveland, Dallas, and Chicago.
- The Late-Season Slide: Green Bay lost their last four games of the regular season before the playoff exit.
The Jeff Hafley Exit
One of the biggest hurdles for the coach Green Bay Packers staff in 2026 is the likely departure of Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley. Despite the late-season struggles, Hafley is the "it" candidate for head coaching vacancies.
He’s already got five interview requests.
LaFleur seems resigned to losing him. He told reporters he "fully anticipates" Hafley getting a job and even called him a "great friend." If Hafley leaves, Green Bay is looking at its fourth defensive coordinator under LaFleur. That kind of turnover is hard to overcome, especially when you’re trying to build a consistent identity.
Who’s next? Names like Raheem Morris are already being floated by insiders. Morris has that Sean McVay connection that LaFleur loves. Plus, he has a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Rams.
What Fans Get Wrong About LaFleur
It’s easy to scream "Fire him!" after a loss.
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But look at what he’s done with Jordan Love. Love threw for 26 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions this year. He’s a top-tier quarterback because LaFleur built a system that protects him.
The offense ranked 11th in the league in passing touchdowns despite losing tight end Tucker Kraft to an ACL tear mid-season. The scheme works. The problem is the "stuff" around the edges—the penalties, the clock management, and the special teams gaffes that seem to happen at the worst possible moments.
Actionable Steps for the 2026 Offseason
If the Packers are going to turn this around and actually win an NFC North title for the first time since 2021, a few things have to happen immediately.
- Resolve the Rich Bisaccia Situation: You can’t keep the status quo on special teams. Whether it’s a new coordinator or a complete overhaul of the personnel, the missed kicks have to stop.
- Fix the Medical Protocol: 18 players on the injured list is a trend, not a fluke. LaFleur mentioned diving into the medical data this offseason. They need to figure out why their stars keep ending up on IR.
- Find a Defensive "Hammer": If Hafley leaves, they need a veteran play-caller who can manage the personalities in that locker room. Raheem Morris or even an internal promotion of someone like Derrick Ansley needs to happen fast.
- Finalize the Extension: The longer the contract talks linger, the more it becomes a distraction. Either commit to LaFleur or let him enter 2026 as a lame duck and see if he can coach for his life.
The 2026 season will be the 106th for this franchise. It's a unique place. LaFleur loves it here, and his family loves it here. But in Green Bay, love only goes so far. You have to win in January.
Right now, the fans are waiting for more than just a winning regular-season record. They want a trophy.