Matt LaFleur has been extended, but a crucial defensive coordinator hire now defines the Green Bay Packers' future success.
The Green Bay Packers are simultaneously in a state of flux and in a state of consistency.
The consistency is at the top, and perhaps that's a good thing. Head coach Matt LaFleur survived the fireball that was sent his way by the fanbase after the playoff collapse against the Chicago Bears.
While it seemed that everything was on the table, from firing LaFleur to trading him, team president Ed Policy ultimately decided to extend the head coach. It makes sense, too. LaFleur has one of the best winning percentages amongst all active NFL quarterbarbacks and he's taken the Packers to the playoffs in all but one season.
He has been criticized for not being able to get the team over the hump, but perhaps the team's next move can help him.
That move comes at defensive coordinator, where the Packers will be looking to replace Jeff Hafley, who was just hired to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Hafley was never elite, but he was a strong defensive coordinator, and his players loved playing for him.
The Packers have several very intriguing options who could replace Hafley, and they've already started the interview process with a handful of those candidates.
Whichever way the Packers choose to go, this will absolutely be a vital decision for the future of this team. If the Packers choose wisely, LaFleur may be able to get a "partner in crime" on the other side of the ball who can help him elevate the players in the locker room. Perhaps that person could even help LaFleur manage the ins and outs and emotions of big games, which is where he can sometimes struggle.
Either way, that's where the flux is right now for the Packers. Once they hire a new defensive coordinator, one can only imagine that the rest of the staff will start to solidify as well. We know that LaFleur is evaluating his current crop of assistant coaches, so there is bound to be a change in the coming days.
Join Andrew Kulha of PackersRoundable and Anthony Moeglin of RoundtableSports as they discuss all of this and more on the latest episode of the PackersRoundtable Podcast.
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