Matt LaFleur’s future with the Packers turns out to have a much simpler answer than expected
Head coach is under contract through 2026, but hasn’t received an extension this offseason under Ed Policy.
It’s been quite some time since we made our last Packers mailbag, so the “Monday Night Football” game offered us the perfect timing to do one during the season.
The Green Bay Packers are 5-2-1, so things are much better than the vibes would indicate, but there are obvious aspects to correct and improve. Let’s discuss the present and the future of the team.
No, it’s just a matter of how much Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst will get. They have had great results and work well together. Yes, there are some mistakes and fans want them fired, but that happens to everyone — after any loss, fans want to find who’s responsible for it.
LaFleur and Gutey are under contract through 2026, and just like they do with players, the Packers don’t typically extend their contracts so far ahead of time. Now, next offseason is the perfect time to do it, and they will negotiate a number that makes sense for everyone.
LaFleur has some problems with decision-making, and the play-calling isn’t always perfect. However, he rebuilt the organizational culture, and most metrics show that he is, in fact, a great offensive mind. Teams would line up to hire him if the Packers let him go — by the way, Green Bay could find another team to trade LaFleur to if they wanted to part ways with him.
Nobody is perfect, but LaFleur has been highly successful with two completely different versions of the roster. I know he hasn’t won the Super Bowl, but that’s not the only way to measure good work.
The overreaction is what bases our ways of living these days around the world. Often, I find myself arguing with both sides — those who think everything is perfect and those who want everyone fired.
Back in the offseason, I was critical of the decision to sign Aaron Banks, and the prevailing argument was that I had to wait and see him play. No, we had an extensive background to form an opinion and analyze the process. Eventually, bad processes have good results, but that’s an outlier.
Now, during the season, some people only want to say that they lost to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers; therefore, LaFleur is bad, and his offense doesn’t work. There are people suggesting the return of Mike McCarthy on social media, guys.
What I like to do in those moments is to think about what’s sustainable. Even after the wins, what did I think was bad about the team? And even after the losses, what did I think was good? Those tend to be the real bones, good or bad, of the roster.
Yes, cornerback and defensive tackle are obvious needs — CB is even more, and I wouldn’t be surprised with that approach where Gutekunst takes multiple players at the same position to solve a need.
Defensive tackle is also huge because Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, and Colby Wooden will all be entering the final year of their deals. The offensive line is a low-key need, too, because Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, and Darian Kinnard are all hitting free agency next offseason, so even if Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton are ready to become starters, depth will be necessary.
There are only two: Jordan Love and Micah Parsons. You could make a case for Rashan Gary due to his sack numbers, but we know it’s mostly a product of how much attention Parsons is drawing from opposing offenses.
Right now, considering the number of injuries the offense has handled, I would say that Love has been the most valuable player, thanks to his ability to elevate his environment.
It’s a decent chance because the Packers offer a rare combination of contention and playing time opportunities. If they don’t get to sign him, the starting trio is still viable even without Hobbs — after all, Hobbs has been a backup anyway. The problem is depth.
While cornerbacks and safeties don’t rotate, the Packers have zero experience on the bench, with Bo Melton and Kamal Hadden combining for zero defensive snaps in their NFL careers. If another injury happens, the Packers could be forced to add a more experienced piece.
Good GMs don’t care about it, nor should they. Yes, I would have picked Cooper DeJean as well, even though I liked Jordan Morgan as a top 40 prospect. But the Packers have their process, and they trust it. If decisions were based on how the fan base would react, the franchise would never have drafted Aaron Rodgers and Love, and it would fire coaches and players after every loss.
That’s not how it should work.
We made a deep dive on it here, but it’s mostly personnel. Walker is a viable but not above-average left tackle. Banks is an average player who has handled injuries. Elgton Jenkins seems to be regressing, and changing positions hasn’t altered that trajectory. Additionally, Morgan is not a good run blocker, especially at guard.
Zach Tom is the only top offensive lineman on the team, and while LaFleur’s system protects the line for the most part, it’s hard to be elite without the horses.
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