In the 2025 NFL Players Association survey, Matt LaFleur suffered a setback in his grade from Packers players. He dropped from an A-minus in 2024 to a B-minus in 2025, with players indicating they felt the head coach did not treat them with enough respect.

LaFleur is aware of the massive impact this perception can have inside the locker room. For that reason, the head coach believes he must improve communication with both players and coaches to avoid any misunderstandings that could impact their performance.

“I don’t feel that way, but unfortunately some guys did,” LaFleur said, via ESPN. “That tells me I’ve got to do a better job of communicating. It goes back to the relationship piece. I think it’s so critical. We always talk about connected teams are powerful teams, and we have to grow that connection. Certainly that’s been a topic of conversation within our building of — how do we get these guys a little closer? Because the more they know each other, I think the more they’re going to battle for one another.”

A lot of pressure in Green Bay

Prior to signing his contract extension, Matt LaFleur stated multiple times that he believed he would stay in Green Bay for the long term. Now that the club has given him a new deal, the pressure is on the head coach.

The Packers have not yet reached the level of success expected with Matt LaFleur as head coach and Jordan Love as quarterback. While they have reached the Conference Championship twice, they lost both games, which is not at all what the front office envisioned.

This year, following a disappointing 2025 season, the pressure has increased significantly. With a new contract, LaFleur needs to prove he was the right choice. Love is also under the spotlight following the massive four-year, $220 million extension he signed in 2024.

The panorama in the NFC North

Last year, the Chicago Bears surprised many by winning the NFC North title. While the Packers also advanced, they were eliminated in the Wild Card round by those same Bears, their longtime rivals.

For 2026, the outlook appears even more complicated. The Vikings are set to improve with either J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray under center, and the Lions are not expected to have as poor a year as their last one. Meanwhile, the Bears now appear to be the frontrunners to secure the division title for the second year in a row. It is a tough scenario for Matt LaFleur and the Packers.

“Many teams in this league are only as good as your guy pulling the trigger, so we feel like we’re very fortunate to have one of those guys that I think the sky’s the limit for him,” LaFleur said to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo.

Achieving good results isn’t just about talent. Often, the connection and human relationships can play a crucial role in fostering strong performance on the field.

“We trust each other quite a bit. I would say our relationship’s really strong. It’s been cool to watch his evolution, not only as a player but as a man. From the time we drafted him to where he is now, and he’s about to be a dad here really, really soon in a couple weeks. But he’s really developed into a really good leader for us.”

Love owes a Super Bowl

Despite racking up 10,929 passing yards, 80 touchdowns, and a solid 27-19-1 record over three years as the Packers’ starter, Jordan Love has yet to reach a Super Bowl. While he has consistently led Green Bay to the postseason with three playoff trips and only 28 interceptions, championship success remains the final hurdle for the star quarterback as he enters the 2026 season.

LaFleur remains a force in Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers signed Matt LaFleur to a multi-year contract extension (expected to earn approximately $15 million per year) in January 2026, securing his leadership after a 9-7-1 season. Despite the latest Wild Card exit, the organization prioritized stability for Jordan Love by locking in the coach who holds a dominant 76-40-1 career record.

After the 2025 NFL season, rumors swirled about the Packers potentially parting ways with Matt LaFleur. Surprisingly, the club went the other way and gave him a multi-year extension that will reportedly pay him around $9 million per year.

The move shocked many, including Packers fans. However, quarterback Jordan Love believes it was a smart decision, as consistency and avoiding a new system are key for him to perform at a peak level.

“Being able to keep Matt around is awesome, and I’m very happy about that,” QB Jordan Love told Kyle Malzahn of WFRV. “It’s a lot to learn a whole new system and new terminology. As a quarterback, being in the same system, the same terminology, it definitely helps me out.”

Matt LaFleur needs to prove his worth

Matt LaFleur has been the Packers’ head coach since 2019, achieving a 76-40-1 record (.654). However, postseason success has continuously eluded Green Bay.

The Packers have reached the Conference Championship twice under LaFleur’s guidance, losing in 2019 to the 49ers and a year later to the Buccaneers. This is why LaFleur is being so heavily criticized by fans and analysts.

Last year, the front office invested two first-round picks to acquire Micah Parsons, who unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury. However, with a healthy roster, expectations are sky-high for Green Bay in 2026.

Jordan Love also faces significant pressure

Not only is Matt LaFleur under the spotlight, but so is Jordan Love. The quarterback’s talents are undeniable, but he currently lacks the “clutch” factor that separates elite signal-callers from the rest of the pack.

In three years as a starter, Love has taken the Packers to the playoffs each season. Nevertheless, with that experience, fans are demanding he step up and finally become the franchise quarterback they expect him to be.

In the past few hours, the arrival of the former Cardinals coach as the new defensive coordinator for the Packers was confirmed. Gannon steps in to fill the void left by Jeff Hafley, who became the new head coach of the Dolphins.

“We are thrilled to add Jonathan Gannon to our coaching staff. He possesses tremendous experience as an NFL coordinator and head coach,” head coach LaFleur said in a statement released by the team.

“I am confident that he will be an outstanding addition to our organization, as well as a strong leader of our defense. We welcome Jonathan, his wife, Gina, and their three children, Rocco, Lola, and Angelo, to the Packers and the Green Bay community.”

Gannon’s experience comes to Lambeau Field

Jonathan Gannon, 43, joins the Green Bay Packers following a three-season stint as the Cardinals’ head coach, where Arizona struggled to a 15-36 record under his tenure.

Despite the challenging record, Gannon’s reputation as a defensive specialist remains rooted in his successful run as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2021-2022 and his time as the Colts’ defensive backs coach from 2018-2020. Now tasked with leading Green Bay’s unit, Gannon will have the elite opportunity to build his scheme around the NFL’s premier defensive star, Micah Parsons.

Per multiple sources, including Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, it is a multi-year deal. As ESPN states, this is “not a prove-it deal but a real commitment.” As for the salary, details haven’t been revealed yet. However, it’s been reported by Tom Silverstein of PackersNews that LaFleur is believed to earn around $8 million and $9 million a year. Hence, it’s believed he received another raise now that a new contract was signed.

LaFleur has a 76-40-1 record with the Packers and six playoff trips in seven seasons at the helm of the club. However, it’s been his lack of success in the playoffs what made many ask for his firing. Still, the Packers opted to retain him and tie him long-term.

More moves are coming on the Packers

Pelissero also reported that the Packers are expected to extend the contracts of general manager Brian Gutekunst and executive VP Russ Ball. Hence, the main core of this Packers is expected to keep it going for years to come.

Having said all of that, they might lose a coach for next season. Also, the special teams should definitely look at a change. Rich Bisaccia hasn’t done a good job and there’s an argument to be made that it was the special teams that cost the Packers this season.

LaFleur is good but far from perfect

While LaFleur has done a splendid job since getting appointed as HC of the Packers, there are some things that he needs to correct. For instance, the Packers are one of the most penalized teams in the NFL. In 2025, they were the fourth-most flagged team with 8.3 per game. Pre-snap discipline is something LaFleur hasn’t been able to correct, and it’s starting to be a chronic symptom.

Then, his playcalling while mostly effective, can get very archaic and predictable sometimes. He tends to get very conservative. Also, he is a very streaky coach in the division. For instance, in 2024 he had a 1-5 record against NFC North teams, but then he was 4-0 late in 2025, only to then lose one to the Vikings and get eliminated from the playoffs by the Bears in the Wild Card round.

It’s well-documented that LaFleur and McVay are friends, so McVay might be looking to get revenge, as Johnson eliminated LaFleur’s Packers last week from the NFL Playoffs. McVay was asked if the spoke with LaFleur this week. “What would you guess?” McVay said with a smile. “No, we watch the tape. We do our work and Matt is a very close friend of mine.” Also, LaFleur’s brother, Mike, is the Rams’ offensive coordinator.

As for Johnson, he is not worried about a possible McVay-LaFleur alliance. “I think every week everyone tries to share what they had from the week before with your next opponent. I think that’s common practice,” Johnson said. “That’s something that you just keep on doing. Like I said all along, there’s a million ways you can do things, a million plays you can call. We’re going to do what we feel like is best for that particular week for the player that we have going against the opponent.”

Ben Johnson believes too much in his playbook

The reason that Ben Johnson got the Bears head coach job was because of his huge, incredible offensive playbook. As he said, “there’s a million ways you can do things, a million plays you can call.” However, the NFL is also a league where you get studied to the last detail.

McVay is a well-known obsessive coach when it comes to details, and so are his coordinators. Hence, Johnson must really have a million ways to do stuff or he will be in a world of trouble once coordinators figure him out. Especially Chris Shula, who is getting interviews with different teams to become a head coach. However, Johnson has yet to be proved wrong.

Johnson vs McVay could be offensive football cinema

McVay has been known as an offensive genius ever since he stepped into the NFL and even more as the Rams head coach. Johnson is the NFL’s brand-new superior offensive mind, so this is a coaching matchup made in heaven.

It will be unstoppable force against another unstoppable force. Given how these teams have performed lately, it will come down to which offense is more polished and ready to get deep into their bag to take the other team by surprise.

Both LaFleur and General Manager Brian Gutekunst are entering the final year of their contracts, prompting many to question whether they will actually return to the team given what’s ahead.

According to NFL reporter Adam Schefter on his X account, both are hoping for a positive meeting with the franchise, and it’s expected that they could extend their contracts with the Packers for a few more years.

Evidently, the main goal is to continue on this path, aiming for Love and his teammates to achieve results in the short term and eventually return to the Super Bowl.

Building a competitive team

The Green Bay Packers are fully committed to building a powerhouse around Jordan Love for a 2026 title run, headlined by their latest blockbuster acquisition of Micah Parsons.

To secure the elite pass rusher, Green Bay traded its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks along with Kenny Clark to the Cowboys, a high-stakes move intended to transform its defense into a championship-caliber unit once Parsons returns from his late-2025 ACL injury.

Offensively, the team is banking on the explosive trio of Josh Jacobs, Christian Watson, and rising star Matthew Golden to provide Love with the weapons needed to lead a high-octane attack.

By pairing a generational defensive talent with a versatile group of playmakers, the Packers have signaled to the rest of the league that they are officially in “win-now” mode for the 2026 season.

The 2025 NFL season was disappointing for the Packers. Despite being viewed as legitimate contenders, Green Bay fell short of expectations and was eliminated quickly in the Wild Card round by the Chicago Bears.

Now that the Packers have reportedly made a final decision to retain Matt LaFleur, the head coach has acknowledged that a major change to his staff could still be on the way for the upcoming campaign.

Matt LaFleur gets candid about potentially losing DC Jeff Hafley

An early playoff exit does not mean the Packers lack talent, and teams around the league are well aware of that. Several franchises have identified key figures in Green Bay who could help them achieve success in the near future.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is one of those names. He has built a strong defense in Green Bay, and despite his unit allowing an 18-point comeback in the Wild Card loss to the Bears, Hafley remains a highly regarded head coach candidate.

On Tuesday, Tom Pelissero reported that the Tennessee Titans will interview Hafley, with the Falcons, Cardinals, Raiders, and Dolphins also expected to meet with him for their head coach vacancies.

“I fully anticipate him getting one of these (jobs),” LaFleur said on Monday. The comment suggests the Packers’ head coach is already preparing for life without Hafley, knowing a replacement would need to be found quickly to keep the team on track for 2026.

Will Matt LaFleur remain with the Packers?

As things stand, Matt LaFleur is expected to remain the Packers’ head coach in 2026. Rumors previously linked Kevin Stefanski to Green Bay if the team suffered an early playoff exit, but the front office appears willing to trust LaFleur for at least one more season.

That said, 2026 could represent LaFleur’s final test. The Packers have not reached the level of success expected under his leadership, and if the team fails to take a significant step forward next season, his future in Green Bay could be in jeopardy—even if the Packers return to the playoffs.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, “Packers now are expected to try to work out a deal in the coming days to keep head coach Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, per sources.” This is somewhat surprising to see.

Since the 2023 season, LaFleur hasn’t been able to go deep in the playoffs. In fact, the Wild Card Round has been his ceiling in the last couple of years. Also, his playcalling has been quite predictable, and his team is amongst the most flagged in the NFL. Therefore, it’s somewhat surprising that the Packers are not even hesitating on keeping him in the building.

Jordan Love has a playoff debt too

Love has a 1-3 record in the playoffs. In those games, he’s completed 60.4% of his passes and has nine touchdowns to five interceptions. The fact is his raw numbers are fine, but the lack of results are concerning. He has two very good games and two very bad ones. Hence, numbers are to be taken with a grain of salt when it comes to Love.

There is undeniable talent in Love’s arm, but there are also huge doubts about his tandem with LaFleur getting over the hump. The Packers haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 2011. It’s time for them to step it up.

The Packers have perennially underachieved

The Packers are one of the most respected, recognizable, and prestigious franchises in the NFL. Hence, it must not feel nice to see Bears’ HC Ben Johnson jabbing at the Packers after the Wild Card game. It also should matter the fact that this team has had two top 10 all-time quarterbacks in Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers back to back and only won two Super Bowls.

After those, you get Jordan Love, who hasn’t reached the heights of Favre and Rodgers, but is still regarded as a top-tier QB in the NFL. Hence, with those three quarterbacks back to back to back, in the last 34 years, the fact that the Packers have only won two Super Bowls is very underwhelming.

In a thrilling game, the Bears overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat the Packers 27-31. Naturally, all eyes turned to Matt LaFleur, whose job security came into question after Green Bay failed to protect such a comfortable lead.

“Yeah, with all due respect to your question,” LaFleur said in press conference- “Now’s not the time for that. I mean, I’m just hurting for these guys. You know, I can only think about just what just happened, and there will be time for that.”

Nevertheless, he also unveiled that he desires to continue in the Packers despite this unfortunate exit from the 2026 playoffs. “It means everything to me. This is the greatest organization in the world, in my opinion.”

Matt LaFleur wants to continue, but do the Packers?

After the game, multiple NFL reports indicated that both Matt LaFleur and the Packers are currently trending toward continuing their partnership. However, prolonged silence during the offseason could increase uncertainty around the franchise.

Before the Wild Card round, reports surfaced suggesting the Packers—despite being a playoff team—could have interest in Kevin Stefanski. Now that Green Bay exited the postseason early, those rumors may gain traction.

Ahead of the 2025 NFL season, the Packers were viewed as legitimate contenders. Instead, they finished with a disappointing 9-7-1 record and were eliminated in the Wild Card round—results that clearly fall short of front-office expectations.

LaFleur has struggled to build the dominant team many expected in Green Bay. With notable coaching names such as John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, and Mike McDaniel potentially available, the Packers could consider moving on rather than continuing to trust LaFleur after several underwhelming seasons.

Key mistakes

Against the Bears, the Packers scored 27 points but left seven more on the field due to two missed field goals and a missed extra point by Brandon McManus. Those missed opportunities could have provided Green Bay with a much safer cushion late in the game.

However, the loss cannot be pinned solely on McManus. On the final drive, with the Packers needing a touchdown to win, several receivers dropped catchable passes from Jordan Love. On the final play, a bad snap disrupted the timing, preventing Love from delivering the ball to the end zone under ideal conditions. Key mistakes that led to a nightmare for Green Bay.

With one eye already on what could happen next week, the Packers arrived at U.S. Bank Stadium with Clayton Tune as starter—not Jordan Love or Malik Willis. Undoubtedly, resting players in Week 18 can be key for the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Vikings’ fate had been sealed for some time. After struggling to find their footing throughout the season, Kevin O’Connell’s squad was quickly eliminated from any playoff contention.

What happens if Packers lose vs Vikings?

If the Packers lose to the Vikings today, it will have no impact on their postseason positioning, as Green Bay is already locked into the No. 7 seed. It would finish with a 9-7-1 record, placing second in its division behind the Bears.

What happens if Packers defeat the Vikings?

If the Packers defeat the Vikings, their playoff position also will remain unchanged. A victory would allow Green Bay to finish the regular season with a 10-6-1 record and snap its current three-game losing streak, providing much-needed momentum before the postseason.

Even with a win, the Packers are guaranteed to start the playoffs on the road against the No. 2 seed, which will be either the Chicago Bears or the Philadelphia Eagles. At this stage, it’s crucial for the team to keep its roster as healthy as possible.