Packers finalize decisions on the two most impactful openings on their coaching staff
The Green Bay Packers had two highly impactful coaching positions to fill in the offseason. Now, both are close to getting done. According to ESPN's reporter Rob Demovsky, the Packers plan to hire DeMarcus Covington as their defensive line coach and to promote Sean Mannion to quarterbacks coach. Defensive line The Packers had fired Jason […]
The Green Bay Packers had two highly impactful coaching positions to fill in the offseason. Now, both are close to getting done. According to ESPN's reporter Rob Demovsky, the Packers plan to hire DeMarcus Covington as their defensive line coach and to promote Sean Mannion to quarterbacks coach.
Defensive line
The Packers had fired Jason Rebrovich after an underwhelming season upfront. Rebrovich, a former pass rush specialist, worked for the first time in Green Bay with the entire defensive line—when the team played with a 3-4 base, interior defensive linemen and edge defenders had separate rooms.
DeMarcus Covington is a 35-year-old coach who has been in the NFL since 2017, always for the New England Patriots. In his time with the Patriots, he was promoted from coaching assistant to outside linebackers coach, defensive line coach, and spent a year as the defensive coordinator under Jerod Mayo. He has a Super Bowl ring as an assistant.
The Packers had also interviewed New York Jets DL coach Aaron Whitecotton (who went to the Dallas Cowboys), Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL coach/run game coordinator Kacy Rodgers (who went to the Detroit Lions), and former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington.
Quarterbacks
The decision to replace now retired quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was the obvious one. The Packers are promoting offensive assistant Sean Mannion. Presumably, the Packers will keep Connor Lewis as the assistant quarterbacks coach (he also helps with in-game management), while Luke Getsy was retained as a senior offensive assistant.
Mannion is 32 and played nine seasons as an NFL quarterback for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks.
He is widely perceived as a future head coach in the NFL. Last year, the Packers beat the interest of other teams, including the Chicago Bears, to hire him as an offensive assistant. After only one season, he's already being elevated.
There hadn’t been any interviews for this position yet, the Packers had to talk to at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule.
The Packers coaching staff is mostly set, unless they lose someone for an external promotion. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley interviewed elsewhere, but didn't get the jobs, as well as defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley. More recently, linebackers coach and running game coordinator Anthony Campanile interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars DC opening, and that's still on the table.
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