Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is embracing the 'Packers South' narrative started by Matt LaFleur.
Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Halfey is fully embracing the 'Packers South' narrative started by Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
In a recent appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adam, Hafley responded to LaFleur referring to the Dolphins as the 'Packers South.' The new Dolphins head coach fully embraced it, saying that he is good with that.
“I’m good with that. If that’s what he wants to call it, he can call it Packers South,” Hafley said.
The Packers have established themselves as a top-notch organization, and the Dolphins are looking to become just that under a new regime.
The nickname did not come by accident. The Dolphins have made moves to earn that nickname, including the hiring of Hafley. The 46-year-old head coach was the Packers' defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
On top of that, the Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager, who has spent almost two decades with the Packers organization. For the past 19 years, Sullivan served as part of Green Bay's front office.
He started his operations tenure as a football operations assistant from 2004 to 2007. After that, Sullivan served as a scout from 2008 to 2015. For the next two seasons, he served as a director of college scouting, and from 2018 to 2021, Sullivan was the co-director of player personnel. In his last four seasons with the Packers from 2022 to 2025, he was the vice president of player personnel.
The Dolphins hired Sullivan as their new general manager in early January. Ten days later, Miami decided to go with Hafley as its next head coach.
The comparisons don't stop there. After the Dolphins decided to cut ties with Tua Tagovailoa at the quarterback position, they went on and signed Malik Willis. Willis served as the Packers' quarterback for four games and one start last season
In his four games, he completed 30 completions for 422 yards, an 85.7 completion percentage, three touchdowns and no interceptions. In the lone game Willis started, the Packers came up short.
The Dolphins have undergone a ton of changes this offseason as they enter a rebuilding year. Miami has aimed to reset the roster and salary cap by moving on from high-priced veterans, like Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle, whom they traded to the Denver Broncos in March.
The goal for the Dolphins is to prioritize young talent and draft picks. The 2026 season is considered a wash for Miami, but beyond that, they'll look to be a threat in their quest to build a formidable squad.