Packers’ Matt LaFleur is already bracing for Jeff Hafley to leave for HC job

The Green Bay Packers are out of the postseason, losing 31-27 to the Chicago Bears on Saturday. After a 9-7-1 season full of injuries, Green Bay heads into an important offseason. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s future is up in the air, but he knows that Jeff Hafley likely won’t return, as he is a head coaching candidate this offseason.

“I fully anticipate him getting one of these,” LaFleur said of Hafley’s interviews, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

The Packers finished 11th in points allowed and 12th in yards allowed in the regular season. The addition of Micah Parsons was a big reason why, as he racked up 12.5 sacks in just 14 games. He tore his ACL late in the season, leaving the unit shorthanded for the playoff matchup.

According to Pro Football Talk, Hafley has five interviews lined up for head coach openings. The Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Titans will all interview the Packers’ defensive coordinator. The Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns are the only teams with openings that have not requested Hafley’s presence.

At his year-end press conference on Sunday, LaFleur did not have an answer about his future with the Packers. After another brutal playoff loss, they could fire the coach and promote Hafley to keep continuity on the defensive side. Timeout and clock management are the biggest criticisms of LaFleur, so Hafley would need to prove that he can manage those variables in the interview.

The Packers are 76-40-1 with six playoff appearances in seven years under LaFleur. If he were to be fired, his 3-6 playoff record would be the stat cited by many. Does it make sense to hire a rookie head coach if playoff success is what the Packers are looking for? Or would they go with a veteran like John Harbaugh?

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