Matt LaFleur’s name has landed on a list nobody wants to be on.
Nate Davis of USA Today put the Green Bay Packers head coach in the hot seat heading into 2026, a reminder that even a coach with real success can feel the pressure fast in the NFL. That’s the league’s reality: one rough year can change everything, and sometimes a head coach becomes the easiest person to point at when things start sliding.
LaFleur’s résumé still looks strong on paper. Davis noted that he has “won nearly two-thirds of his games through seven seasons and only missed the playoffs only once,” but that hasn’t stopped the conversation from heating up. The Packers have “barely qualified for the past three postseasons, the No. 7 seed in each and only have one playoff win since trading Aaron Rodgers three years ago.”
Davis also pointed to the way the offense has been built and the questions around it. He described LaFleur as “a coach who pushed back on the need for a No. 1 receiver - after experiencing so much success with Davante Adams early in his tenure - and learned his fleet of No. 2-caliber receivers was unhappy last year and unsure of their roles.”
The timing makes things even trickier for Green Bay. Micah Parsons is likely to miss early games because of his injury, and Josh Jacobs could be looking at a suspension. If the Packers stumble out of the gate, LaFleur is the one most likely to absorb the blame.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Is Showing Why The Packers Stayed Patient
Jordan Loves growth has been easy to trace if you watch the details before the snap. The Packers quarterback said his years behind Aaron Rodgers gave him a front-row view of how much control a quarterback can have at the line of scrimmage, especially when it comes to protection adjustments and getting everyone settled before the play starts. It is the kind of lesson that does not always show up in the box score, but it has clearly helped shape the player Green Bay has now.
Love has gone from apprentice to steady starter, and the last three seasons have only reinforced why the Packers were willing to wait. He has developed into a quarterback who can handle the mental side of the job as well as the physical one, and that matters most in January, where Green Bay has been back in the playoff picture multiple times. The next step is less about proving he belongs and more about just how far that command can carry him. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Forgotten Draft Pick Worth Watching
John Williams barely got a chance to show what Green Bay thought it was getting when it drafted the former Cincinnati Bearcats guard, because a back injury wiped out his entire rookie season. Now he is back in training camp, and the early return has been encouraging for a Packers offensive line that can always use more flexibility. General manager Brian Gutekunst has already pointed to Williams progress, especially the way he has handled a variety of responsibilities up front.
What makes Williams interesting again is not just that he is healthy, but that he has been movable across the line in a way that gives the Packers options if he keeps building on this camp. Preseason games will matter here, because roster spots are never handed out on potential alone, and Williams still has to beat out the other names in the mix before Green Bay decides whether this forgotten draft pick is ready to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Opens Up About A Personal Loss Beyond Packers Camp
Packers coach Matt LaFleur had planned to leave training camp and make the trip to a funeral service for Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of his longtime friend Jeff Ulbrich, but a mechanical problem with his private plane kept him from attending. The aircraft failed its preflight check, interrupting a personal obligation that had been on LaFleurs calendar as he balanced camp duties with a difficult off-field moment.
Cristina Ulbrich died last month after a battle with cancer, and the Falcons announced her death on July 30. LaFleur and his wife had intended to fly in for the service, a reminder that even in the middle of camp, football people are still carrying the kinds of personal losses that pull them away from the field. [Read more 🡒]