The Green Bay Packers are nearly a week removed from their Wild Card game loss to the Chicago Bears, to end their season.
While the initial reaction to the Packers’ second-half collapse was an outcry for the firing of coach Matt LaFleur, things have settled down, and now Green Bay is in discussions for a contract extension.
While many fans voiced their opinions on LaFleur, the Packers locker room voiced their support, and earlier in the week, a former Packers legend gave his endorsement for his former head coach as well.
What Was Matt LaFleur’s Reaction To Aaron Rodgers’ Praise?
LaFleur took over as the Packers’ head coach in 2019 and took Green Bay to two straight NFC Championship games with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
However, the Packers lost in the Divisional Round the following year and failed to make the playoffs in 2022, which was Rodgers’ final season in Green Bay.
Since then, quarterback Jordan Love has taken over, and the Packers have made the playoffs for three straight years, but haven’t made it past the Divisional Round.
However, after the Packers were eliminated this year, with LaFleur on the hot seat, his former quarterback gave him a strong endorsement after his own playoff loss.
“I mean, this league has changed a lot in my 21 years. When you hear conversation about the Mike Tomlins of the world, Matt LaFleurs of the world. Those are just two that I played for,” Rodgers said.
“When I first got in the league, there wouldn’t be conversations about whether those guys were on the hot seat, but the way that the league is covered now and the way that there’s snap decisions and the validity given to the Twitter experts and all the experts on TV now who you make it seem like they know what the hell they’re talking about, to me that’s an absolute joke.”
LaFleur has taken the Packers to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons, and Mike Tomlin never had a losing season in 19 years with the Steelers. Tomlin took Pittsburgh to the playoffs in 13 of his 19 seasons and won a Super Bowl.
“For either of those two guys to be on the hot seat is really apropos of where we’re at as a society and a league,” Rodgers said. “Because obviously Matt’s done a lot of great things in Green Bay, and we had a lot of success. Mike T.’s had more success than damn near anybody in the league for the last 19, 20 years. And more than that, though, when you have the right guy and the culture’s right, you don’t think about making a change.
“But there’s a lot of pressure that comes from the outside, and obviously that sways decisions from time to time. But that’s not how I would do things, and not how the league used to be.”
Rodgers sent a strong endorsement LaFleur’s way, and his players echoed that sentiment.
As for the Packers’ coach, he was taken aback by the words of the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
“I’m speechless,” LaFleur told The Athletic via text. “He didn’t have to do that, but he did. (It’s) one of the nicest compliments (of) my life. I’m so appreciative of him for that.”
Rodgers’ words and opinion speak volumes, and who knows if they impacted how the Packers’ locker room and front office felt, but LaFleur is now in contract extension talks rather than in conversations about a firing.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback played 18 seasons in Green Bay, won four NFL MVPs, and a Super Bowl. He spent the last four years of his time with the Packers under LaFleur.
Rodgers may have played his last snap of football in the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Houston Texans, since their former head coach, Mike Tomlin, resigned.
As for LaFleur, he has one year left on his contract, and the Packers’ front office is working with him on an extension.
