The Green Bay Packers have had no shortage of movement on their coaching staff this offseason-and it’s been anything but conventional. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley left to take the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins, and he didn’t go alone. He brought a handful of coaches with him, some of whom the Packers technically could have kept-if they wanted to.
Here’s how it works: NFL teams can block assistant coaches from leaving for what the league considers “lateral” moves-essentially, jobs that don’t come with a promotion in title or responsibility. So while Green Bay couldn’t have stopped Hafley from taking the Dolphins job, or linebackers coach Sean Duggan from becoming Miami’s defensive coordinator, or quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion from taking the Eagles’ offensive coordinator role, they could have blocked other departures. That includes receivers coach Rhyan Mahaffey (now the Eagles’ tight ends coach and run game coordinator), pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley (now filling the same role with the Cowboys), and defensive backs coach Ryan Downard (now coaching the secondary in Miami).
To this point, there’s been no indication that those coaches were fired or that their contracts expired. Which makes it all the more intriguing that head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t stand in the way.
But the most eye-catching detail in all this? The way Sean Duggan ended up in Miami.
According to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, once Hafley was officially hired by the Dolphins, he and LaFleur had a conversation about which staffers Hafley wanted to bring with him. LaFleur tried to hold on to Duggan.
Hafley didn’t budge.
“No, Sean’s coming with me,” Hafley reportedly told LaFleur.
That’s a pretty clear message from Hafley-and a telling one. He’s not just bringing in a familiar face. He’s bringing in someone he trusts to run the defense while he steps into the broader responsibilities of head coach.
“Ultimately [LaFleur and I] decided that it was best for Sean to come here,” Hafley said. “And I say that not because he’s been with me for eight or nine years, whatever it’s been.
I say that I think he’s a rising star, and he’s going to allow me to be the head coach of this team. I’m going to be able to touch all three phases with how good this guy is.”
That’s a strong endorsement-and a pretty big vote of confidence for a coach who, just a year ago, was in his first season as the Packers’ linebackers coach.
Here’s where it gets even more interesting: Duggan’s lone season in that role didn’t exactly produce stellar results. Linebackers Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper both took a step back in 2025, especially when compared to how they finished 2024 under former position coach Anthony Campanile. Campanile, for what it’s worth, is now the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville.
So why the loyalty from Hafley? It’s about history and trust.
Duggan has been with Hafley for years-dating back to their time together at Boston College, where Duggan coached linebackers and was eventually promoted to co-defensive coordinator. Before that, they worked together at Ohio State in 2019, when Hafley was co-defensive coordinator and Duggan was a graduate assistant.
When Hafley made the move to Green Bay, Duggan followed, serving as a defensive assistant before taking on the linebackers job in 2025.
Now, Hafley’s betting on that relationship to help him transition into his first NFL head coaching role.
Back in Green Bay, the defensive staff is undergoing a full reset. With Jonathan Gannon taking over as defensive coordinator, nearly the entire on-field staff has turned over. The only known holdover is defensive line coach and run game coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
So far, Gannon’s new hires include pass game coordinator Bobby Babich, defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks, and linebackers coach Sam Siefkes. Siefkes is stepping into Duggan’s old role, and he brings a bit of familiarity with Gannon himself.
The two worked together in Arizona, where Siefkes was linebackers coach from 2023 to 2024. Most recently, Siefkes was Virginia Tech’s defensive coordinator in 2025-a job he held for just one season before being replaced when Brent Pry, the former Hokies head coach, was reassigned to the DC role under new head coach James Franklin.
Bottom line: Green Bay’s defensive coaching staff is getting a major facelift, and LaFleur appears to be letting the chips fall where they may. Whether that’s part of a bigger plan or simply a reflection of how much change was inevitable after Hafley’s exit remains to be seen. But one thing is clear-Jeff Hafley knows exactly who he wants in his corner, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer.