The Chicago Bears have been keeping a close eye on the Green Bay Packers' coaching shake-up since their season wrapped up. It's been a carousel of changes, with notable departures like Jeff Hafley and Sean Mannion. But one move that might not sit well with Bears fans is the exit of Rich Bisaccia, the Packers' assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
Bisaccia's tenure with Green Bay spanned four seasons, and during that time, the Packers' special teams had their share of blunders, often at crucial moments. Chicago fans know this all too well, having witnessed it firsthand during their wild-card victory over Green Bay.
In that memorable win, Chicago's kicker, Brandon McManus, had a rough outing, missing two field goals from 55 and 44 yards and an extra point. Those misses cost Green Bay seven points in a game where the Bears triumphed 31-27.
This wasn't an isolated incident. In the 2024 wild-card round against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Packers' Keisean Nixon fumbled a kickoff, and McManus missed a crucial 38-yard field goal.
The previous year, during the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers, kicker Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard attempt in the fourth quarter, which could have given the Packers the lead. Instead, they lost 24-21.
Year after year, Green Bay's special teams seemed to falter at the worst times. With Bisaccia stepping away, the Bears lose a bit of an edge, as having a division rival with a consistent Achilles' heel was a nice advantage.
The timing of Bisaccia's departure is intriguing. The Packers' season ended on January 10, and it took five weeks for this change to unfold.
Bisaccia wasn't let go; he chose to step down. It appeared the Packers were ready to have him back for the 2026 season, but plans shifted.
Now, Green Bay finds itself playing catch-up in the search for a new special teams coordinator, while other teams are already gearing up for free agency and the draft. A fresh perspective might be just what the Packers need to address their ongoing struggles in this area. But for Bears fans, the hope was that Green Bay's special teams woes would continue to be a thorn in their side.