Packers fans may be frustrated enough to dream big, but the Mike Tomlin chatter around Green Bay is a fantasy that doesn’t solve much of anything.
The Packers have dropped seven of their last eight games since Micah Parsons got hurt, and the losses have been ugly in all the wrong ways: a blown double-digit lead in the Wild Card round against the Chicago Bears, a blown lead to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, and a blowout loss in the home opener. Their only victory came in overtime against the ever-struggling New York Jets. That means Green Bay was awfully close to opening the season 0-3 after finishing last season with five straight losses.
It’s no surprise, then, that plenty of fans want Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst gone. And while both may deserve serious heat, the idea of swapping in Tomlin doesn’t hold up.
For one thing, Tomlin is under contract to do TV this season. Whether he has a clause to return to the league is unclear, and anything beyond that is speculation.
The Steelers didn’t fire him, either - he chose to take some time off. Even if he wanted back in, Pittsburgh still controls his contract, which means Green Bay would have to give up assets to trade for him rather than simply hire him.
The bigger issue is whether Tomlin would actually fix what’s broken in Green Bay. LaFleur’s problems are pretty clear: he struggles in big games, gets too cute when he doesn’t need to, and his game and clock management are borderline atrocious, especially when the Packers are ahead.
But if that’s the complaint, why trade him for a coach whose Steelers teams too often settled into .500 football and first-round playoff exits? It’s been almost a decade since Tomlin’s last playoff win, and it’s been even longer since Pittsburgh looked like a real contender.
Yes, Tomlin has long been billed as a culture builder and a player-friendly coach. But that reputation doesn’t exactly erase the names Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, Chase Claypool, Le’Veon Bell, or James Harrison.
And while Green Bay’s defense isn’t flawless, it isn’t the root of the problem. The offense is the bigger mess: a borderline-amateur offensive line, a subpar running game, and a quarterback who has improved but still leans into his gunslinger habits and hero-ball tendencies once the pocket collapses and time starts slipping away.
Tomlin is a good coach who, in this view, was given too much credit for a Super Bowl ring years ago - the same sort of runway Mike McCarthy once enjoyed. Packers fans knew exactly how they felt about McCarthy, and the argument here is simple: why would they want his defensive equivalent?
Even if the Tomlin rumors were real, there’s no reason to believe he should be the answer in Green Bay. And since LaFleur just got an extension, there’s not even a guarantee the Packers are moving on from him this season.
In Other News...
Bucks Must Decide If This Former Top Pick Is Worth The Backcourt Squeeze
The Bucks are still sorting through the edges of their roster, and the open two-way slot has become a place where upside matters as much as immediate fit. Rob Dillingham, who was recently cut by the Hornets, is one of the names in the mix, and his appeal is easy to see for a team that is always looking for another guard who can eventually grow into a larger role. With the Wisconsin Herd also going through roster changes, Milwaukee has a development pipeline that could give a young player a real chance to settle in and improve.
Still, the question is whether the Bucks can afford to add another backcourt piece without crowding the room even more. Their guard group is already tight, so any move for Dillingham would have to be justified by the long view rather than short-term minutes. For a team trying to balance depth, development and fit, the decision is less about whether the talent is interesting than whether the squeeze in the backcourt is worth it. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Porter Jr. Wants To Stay But Bucks Face A Backcourt Squeeze
Kevin Porter Jr. has already made his first offseason choice, picking up his player option to stay with the Bucks after a season interrupted by injuries. It is an outcome that keeps him in Milwaukee for now and lines up with his stated desire to build his career there, giving the team another backcourt piece to sort through as it plans for the months ahead.
The complication is what comes next. Tyler Herro and Ryan Rollins are also on track to be free agents next year, leaving Milwaukee with a crowded and potentially fluid guard picture as it weighs roster priorities and future flexibility. Porter could end up as part of that mix in a veteran presence role, or he could become a name to monitor if the Bucks decide a different backcourt alignment makes more sense. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Porter Jr. Could Quietly Swing The Bucks Backcourt Plan
Kevin Porter Jr. spent 38 games with the Bucks last season and turned in some of the best production of his career, enough to keep him in the conversation as Milwaukee sorts out its backcourt plans for the year ahead. At media day, Porter said he is healthy entering the upcoming season, an important starting point for a player whose path with the team has already shown signs of fit and upside.
The next step may be less about where he stands on the roster and more about how the Bucks use him. The coaching staff is considering Porter as a bench option to run the second unit, a role that could put the ball in his hands more often and give him the freedom to drive his numbers even higher. For a team looking to sharpen its guard rotation, that kind of quiet adjustment could end up mattering more than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]