Matt LaFleur enters training camp with the Green Bay Packers under a brighter spotlight than usual, and a recent 2026 forecast only sharpens the pressure.
LaFleur has been in charge since 2019, and while Green Bay has piled up plenty of regular-season wins during his tenure, the postseason results have not matched. The Packers’ most recent playoff exit came against the Chicago Bears, when they squandered a 21-3 halftime lead on the road and lost in the wild-card round to their oldest rival.
Even after signing a multi-year extension at the end of January, LaFleur is not exactly operating with total job security. That becomes especially true if Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton is right about where Green Bay lands in the NFC North this season.
Moton projected the Packers to finish last in the division.
"Without Parsons to mask coverage issues in the secondary, the Packers could be off to a slow start this year. If the Minnesota Vikings offense looks sharp with quarterback Kyler Murray, Green Bay could be in an uphill climb to stay out of the NFC North basement," Moton wrote.
The NFC North is tight enough that there is little margin for error. Coaching and roster talent are bunched closely across the division, which leaves room for a wide range of outcomes.
Green Bay’s defense has some obvious questions, especially in the secondary. The pass rush also looks shaky beyond Micah Parsons, who is still coming back from a torn ACL and will not be ready for Week 1. If that side of the ball stumbles, the Packers could be in trouble early.
There is upside on offense, but there are also real unknowns. It is not clear whether Christian Watson can be counted on as a No. 1 receiver, and the running game may need to carry more weight if the passing attack falls short.
So while a last-place finish in 2026 is far from a lock, it is not hard to see how it could happen in a division this competitive. And if it does, LaFleur’s future in Green Bay could become a much bigger conversation.
He has been a good coach for the Packers. The question is whether he is the coach who can get them all the way to a Super Bowl. Based on the playoff track record, that answer still looks uncertain, and another season without a postseason run could push the organization toward a change.
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