Packers move on, but Joe Barry can still remain on the coaching staff

The Green Bay Packers officially moved on from Joe Barry as the defensive coordinator. On Wednesday, head coach Matt LaFleur released a statement saying that the coach will not return as the DC. "We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons," said LaFleur. "These decisions are […]

Wendell Ferreira — NFL News Writer

Jan 24, 2024 11:33 AM EST

The Green Bay Packers officially moved on from Joe Barry as the defensive coordinator. On Wednesday, head coach Matt LaFleur released a statement saying that the coach will not return as the DC.

"We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons," said LaFleur. "These decisions are extremely difficult and Joe is one of the best men I've had the opportunity to work with in this league."

That doesn't mean, though, that Joe Barry won't be in Green Bay next season. According to Rob Demovsky and Adam Schefter, from ESPN, there's a scenario where Barry returns in another position.

^{"Barry still could remain on the Packers' staff in some capacity — a possibility that is being discussed."}

The exact position hasn't been mentioned, and it would most likely depend on who the new defensive coordinator will be and what he intends to do with his staff. So far, position coaches have been retained — which doesn't mean there won't be more changes in the near future.

Analyzing the Packers' options to keep Barry

If the Packers hire a coach who runs a similar system, like Ejiro Evero, Barry could potentially be a linebackers coach. He's highly experienced (and successful) at coaching that position, which is something he did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, and Los Angeles Rams — and in the three cases, it led Barry to a defensive coordinator opportunity.

Another scenario is that Joe Barry might be kept in some kind of advisory role — like a senior assistant. Right now, former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester is a senior analyst on the staff — he has actually an offensive background, but LaFleur likes to mix things up to have different perspectives in advisory roles. So, Barry as a member of the offensive coaching staff wouldn't be an absurd thought.

Joe Barry has been in the NFL for 22 years, which includes three stints as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and Green Bay Packers.

The new defensive coordinator will be the third under Matt LaFleur. When he was hired as a head coach in 2019, he decided to retain Mike Pettine, who ended up being fired two years later. Joe Barry was the choice, leaving behind names like Ejiro Evero and Ryan Nielsen.

In 2021, the Packers kept most of their defensive coaching staff in place. This time around, it hasn't been announced if the position coaches will be retained — but they haven't been fired so far, which is an indication that the final decision will be made in later discussions with the new coordinator.