Matt LaFleur deal gets done, but the Packers still face uncomfortable questions ahead
Green Bay reaches a contract extension with its head coach, but the staff may go through some changes.
Had the Green Bay Packers fired or traded head coach Matt LaFleur, the immediate best option to be the next head coach of the franchise would be… Matt LaFleur. So the Packers avoided a scenario in which upgrading would have been extremely difficult, finally reaching an extension with LaFleur.
The deal is a multiyear extension, first reported by Tom Pelissero, by NFL Network. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports that it’s a real commitment, and not a prove-it deal.
LaFleur had a 76-40-1 (.654) regular season record with the Packers, leading the team to six playoff appearances in seven seasons. However, the lack of playoff success is palpable — LaFleur is 3-6 in the postseason and was one-and-done in 2021, 2024, and 2025. Under him, the Packers have not won more than one game in the same postseason.
Green Bay is also expected to keep general manager Brian Gutekunst, who’s been calling the roster shots since 2018 after Ted Thompson retired and was moved to an advisory role, and executive vice president Russ Ball.
Contract situation was the major point
Under the new president and CEO Ed Policy, the Packers had already decided to keep LaFleur — at least, if the parties could come to an agreement. And that happened because the head coach was set to enter the final year of his deal.
LaFleur originally signed a four-year deal with the Packers in 2019, making $5 million a year, with a team option for Year 5. The Packers gave LaFleur a three-year extension in 2022, in the $8 million-$9 million range, making him under contract through 2026.
When Policy took over after Mark Murphy’s retirement back in July, the new president indicated he wouldn’t extend LaFleur and Gutekunst right away, but he didn’t want them to be lame ducks in 2026. That put some stress and urgency on their plates, because the 2025 season would automatically be an inflection point before the decision.
LaFleur had to handle questions about his future throughout the season, especially after the bad moments. And the worst moment came at the end, with the Packers allowing a huge fourth-quarter comeback to the Chicago Bears in the playoffs.
Despite the bad taste to finish out the year, LaFleur will be the Packers’ head coach for years to come — and that’s probably the right decision after what the head coach and offensive mind have built in Green Bay over the past seven years.
Packers face more coaching questions despite LaFleur extension
LaFleur stays, but that doesn’t end the questions regarding the Packers’ coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has six head coaching interviews, and it’s reasonable to expect he might get a job elsewhere — he’s the frontrunner for the Miami Dolphins job.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, special teams teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, offensive line coach Luke Butkus, and several other assistants have been questioned — and fairly so. However, the Packers tend to have strict limitations on paying assistant coaches, and if that doesn’t change, it’s hard to project improvement out of nowhere.
The next weeks will be as telling as the past ones have been.
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