The Green Bay Packers have many decisions to make this offseason, but none more important than what to do at the head-coaching position.
The Packers’ Wild Card collapse has head coach Matt LaFleur’s job in jeopardy. However, while many fans are calling for his firing, the sentiment inside the Green Bay locker room is much different.
How Do Packers Players Feel About Matt LaFleur?
LaFleur took over in 2019, and he has led the Packers to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons. However, after reaching the NFC Championship game in his first two years, the Packers have not been back since and have suffered first-round playoff exits in each of the last two seasons.
Fans in Green Bay are frustrated, as reaching the playoffs is considered an expectation rather than an achievement. The belief is that success must follow once the team gets there. Despite that frustration, the sentiment within the locker room remains one of full support for the Packers’ head coach.
“I think he belongs here, man. The past tjree years I’ve been here, I’ve been in the playoffs every year,” Packers receiver Jayden Reed said. “He’s creating a winning atmosphere here. I think he’s a great coach.”
Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons has only been around LaFleur for one season, but he is already firmly behind him. When asked about LaFleur’s job status, Parsons had nothing but praise.
“I believe so. I’ve had my fair share of coaches and people around this league that I’ve been around, and Matt is one of the best guys and people — as a person — I’ve been around since I’ve been in this league,” Parsons said. “I reached out to him when I started seeing this, and I said, ‘Man, when I agreed to come here, you were part of this, and I love you. I think you’re a great coach.’
“He appreciated those words, and we had a brief conversation. I think he’s a great guy. He cares so much. He cares so much about the players. I don’t think people realize that.”
The Packers are a very young team, and many of the cornerstone pieces in Green Bay were drafted after LaFleur was already the coach. That was not the case for Parsons, who has been around other coaches and organizations in the NFL.
“You can get spoiled with good coaching and good people, and you don’t realize it until they’re gone. I don’t want to be at that point where we realize, damn, we let such a great coach go,” Parsons said. “At some point, players have to have accountability. That’s something I’m challenging us and as players that we need to take.”
Parsons referenced the Wild Card collapse, noting the Packers scored 27 points and could have had 34.
When he arrived in Green Bay, he said that if the offense put up 21 points, the Packers should win every game. Parsons was not on the field to ensure that would happen, but he said that at some point, it comes down to the players doing their jobs.
Parsons was injured in Week 15 and missed the final three games of the season. The Packers did not win a single game without him, though he was not the only key injury.
Defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt missed time, offensive linemen Elgton Jenkins and Zach Tom each missed games, and tight end Tucker Kraft’s season ended early due to injury, among others.
“I don’t think there’s another coach that can come in and do it as well as he’s done it,” Kraft said of LaFleur. “It’s only getting better here. I think Matt’s an outstanding head coach.”
Fans expect the Packers to make noise once they reach the playoffs, but many teams would be happy just to have hope beyond the regular season each year. It is a difficult line to walk. Expectations are higher in Green Bay, but there also has to be appreciation for what has been accomplished. When the Packers were fully healthy, they looked like the best team in the NFL. Injuries then decimated the roster, and Green Bay was left trying to power through games.
That is not an excuse — injuries are part of the game — but it does need to be considered.
One thing is clear: LaFleur has the full support of the Packers’ locker room, and that may be the most important factor for any head coach.
“I love Matt. I think he does a great job with this team,” safety Javon Bullard said. “He’s our coach, and we wouldn’t want nothing more than for him to be here. He’s the only coach I’ve had in the league, and we’ve been winning.”
Time will tell whether LaFleur’s tenure in Green Bay continues, but the players clearly have his back. In today’s NFL, though, it remains to be seen whether that is enough.
