As many Cheesehead fans feared, the season for Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers did in fact end in Denver.
The injuries and mental mistakes proved too much to overcome, and as a result, Green Bay put up one of the most disappointing five game stretches in its recent history.
As we turn the page into the offseason, the front office will have plenty of decisions to make, with one being the most pertinent: head coach.
An Honest Analysis
Throughout my time as a Packers fan, the organization has faced several potential crossroads, including the transition from Favre to Rodgers, the firing of Mike McCarthy, and the transition from Rodgers to Love.
Following Saturday’s collapse, they face another, and in my opinion, it may be the most difficult of the bunch.
Green Bay appointed a new team president, Ed Policy, in July of last year, and he’s quickly been forced into a decision that could define the first part of his tenure.
As of Monday morning, the future of Green Bay Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur seems to have already been decided, and barring a setback in negotiations, he’ll be back the helm next year.
The results that follow will likely be divisive.
But for what it’s worth, LaFleur has been what many would call a successful coach in Green Bay.
His regular season pedigree is one of the strongest to start a head coaching career in NFL history, and this season, the offense—which he calls plays for—finished in the 85th percentile of expected points added per play.
So, what’s the hang up?
Without the weight of the blown lead to the Bears, we’re probably not having this conversation, at least not as boisterously.
Even without that loss however, I have one major concern.
Culture.
While there’s no doubt that the Packers were one of the most injury-ridden teams this year (and seem to always be) there are plenty more organizational patterns that have to be disrupted if the Lombardi is going to come home to Green Bay.
The first of those?
Finishing games.
Whether the Packers like it or not, they’ve become known for their inability to close out wins, and captain Quay Walker told the media as much in the postgame scrum.
With their loss to the Bears, the 2025 Green Bay Packers because the first team since the 1970 merger to lose three games, including the playoffs, in which they led by ten or more points in the final five minutes, and regardless of how those losses came about, the result is unacceptable.
You can point to any number of issues, special teams, penalties, drops, you name it, but at some point, the problem is systemic, and that points to the head coach.
The second most obvious pattern in the Packers’ continued struggle goes hand in hand with that fact, and that pattern is stubbornness.
Throughout LaFleur’s tenure, Green Bay has been somewhat allergic to change, both in regard to roster construction and coaching.
The same weaknesses have plagued the team for years, and in the biggest games, they pay the price.
The most notable of those weaknesses recently has been the special teams unit.
The Packers did try to fix the issue with the hiring of Rich Bisaccia in 2023, but that hiring took far too long to materialize, and one could argue that the group has been even worse since his arrival.
Kicker Brandon McManus cost the Packers multiple games this season, including the wild card loss to the Bears, and the writing had been on the wall since the early weeks of the year.
Instead of rectifying the issue, the Green Bay Packers exited the playoffs with a franchise record holder on their practice squad, while the starter finished three for nine on kicks of forty yards or more.
The same problem has plagued the cornerback room, where the Packers have attempted to limp along without a reliable starting caliber player for years now.
Watching the end of the past two Bears games, you’ll know that that need is dire.
If Green Bay is going to win a championship, in the near future, they’ll need to willing to make adjustments, and not just when the product on the field demands it.
Those choices will need to be made mid-season, mid-game, and more firmly in the offseason to create a roster worthy of a title.
Finally, in conjunction with my previous point, I think the team has an issue with accountability, and that also starts at the top.
When asked by the media if the team had a culture problem, head coach Matt LaFleur was quick to deny, and in my opinion, that is simply untrue.
Although this team has a great stable of leaders in many of its skill positions, there has also been an undercurrent of several players who have stuck out in their defense of themselves, and their poor play has been almost rewarded.
On the coaching side, the same press conferences are taking place over and over again.
If you watch the way defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley speaks in comparison to Matt LaFleur, the difference is significant.
To be able to course correct, the Green Bay Packers must make sure that they have the best eleven on the field at all times, regardless of contract or status.
That means making more of an effort to feature younger players if they are outplaying veterans, and most importantly, making sure that every start is earned.
At the end of the day, the team simply cannot get better if it’s unwilling to look inward in meaningful ways.
Final Thoughts
Unlike the Packers other transitional moments that I mentioned earlier, I don’t think there is a “right” answer here.
When the Packers moved from Favre to Rodgers, the relationship between Favre and the organization was fractured.
He’d been retired for months at that point, and it made no sense to go back.
A similar situation played out when the team chose to move on from Aaron Rodgers.
Even when McCarthy was fired, the team was in obvious disarray.
That is not necessarily the case here.
The Packers have made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons with one of the youngest teams in the league, and for most, that would likely be categorized as success.
In TitleTown, it almost feels far from it.
Based on the latest reports, it seems like head coach Matt LaFleur will be returning to Green Bay next season, and with the options available, it’s likely the safest move for Ed Policy.
Time will tell if it is the right one.
The Green Bay Packers committed to a Super Bowl window when they traded for Micah Parsons prior to the season, and the retainment of LaFleur will play a huge part in that.
Most of the team’s key contributors seem to be behind him, but following Saturday’s performance, I find it hard to believe that they’ll be able to walk into next season with unwavering confidence.
Regardless of how it all plays out, I know I’ll be betting on 10 and 1.
The post That’s All Folks: On the Future of Matt LaFleur first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.