Traditionally, Green Bay isn’t an organization that makes knee-jerk decisions regarding it leadership. It was fair, though, to wonder if the Packers had already reached their maximum potential with LaFleur at the helm, especially when considering the fashion in which they collapsed multiple times against the upstart Bears, a team Aaron Rodgers had once notoriously owned during his time with the Packers.
In Week 16, Green Bay squandered a 16-6 lead in the fourth quarter to lose, 22-16, in overtime. A month later, Green Bay lost its fifth in a row to conclude its season, falling, 31-27, to the Bears in the Wild Card Round despite having held a 21-3 lead in the first half. Having previously won 11 straight against the Bears, the Packers have now lost three of four in the rivalry and dropped consecutive games in the NFL’s oldest feud for the first time since 2007.
Those who believed a change might be necessary pointed toward those shortcomings and the generally bad vibes surrounding the team in 2025. LaFleur acknowledged as much when speaking with reporters at the Annual League Meeting on Tuesday, explaining he planned to solve the issue with a reset of sorts entering 2026 that will include stripping the offense down to the studs and reinstalling it as if he’d only just arrived.
Lesser, more ego-driven coaches would scoff at such an approach, point to the success LaFleur has produced — a 76-40-1 record in seven seasons with six playoff trips — as proof they didn’t need to change a thing and likely repeat the same mistakes. Not LaFleur, who is acutely aware of his surroundings and isn’t too proud to make changes when necessary.
“If I’m being honest about it, I think there were some guys that were upset about roles last year, and I think that took a toll on our football team,” LaFleur said this week, via ESPN.
“I think from a coaching standpoint, role clarity is key. So we’ve got to obviously do a better job communicating with our players, ‘Hey here’s your role and if you’re unhappy about your role, it’s on you to do something about that, to carve out a role on this football team.’ But yeah, the buy-in is absolutely critical. Getting guys in there that are juiced and ready to go to work each and every day is going to be critical for us.”
Green Bay has built a roster strong enough to contend for Super Bowls and acted as such when swinging a blockbuster deal for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons just before the start of the 2025 season. Now, however, the Packers must deliver on those expectations.
Judging by LaFleur’s responses, he isn’t resting on any laurels. A couple of losses to a former little brother (Chicago) should be bitter enough to motivate him now more than ever.
