Could Packers’ Matt Lafleur Be Part Of Rare Coach Trade?

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 1999, nan Green Bay Packers traded Mike Holmgren to nan Seattle Seahawks for a second-round pick. Could history repetition itself pinch Matt LaFleur?

As of Friday afternoon, almost a afloat week aft nan Packers’ sadistic playoff nonaccomplishment to nan Chicago Bears, location has been nary solution regarding nan coach’s early pinch nan squad he’s led since 2019.

At this point, each options look to beryllium connected nan table. The Packers and LaFleur could work together to a statement extension. They could determine to spell their abstracted ways.

Or nan Packers could waste and acquisition LaFleur, which would supply valuable draught superior for a squad pinch nary first-round prime successful 2026 aliases 2027 pursuing nan Micah Parsons trade, though it would travel pinch nan consequence of replacing a coach pinch a resume that includes six playoff appearances successful 7 seasons.

Trading a coach is simply a rarity successful nan coaching world. Dating to 1997, NBC Sports Boston listed seven.

In his mailbag, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes LaFleur, for illustration Holmgren much than a quarter-century ago, would fetch a second-round pick.

Years and dollars are astatine nan forefront of immoderate speech and surely would beryllium successful this one, too, arsenic LaFleur and his agent, Trace Armstrong, meet pinch caller squad President Ed Policy. Other imaginable obstacles are changes to nan organizational structure, pinch LaFleur, wide head Brian Gutekunst and executive vice president Russ Ball presently connected a level playing section nether nan statement travel floor plan instituted by erstwhile squad President Mark Murphy.

“First things first,” Breer wrote of a imaginable trade, “I deliberation it’d return an impasse successful those talks to unfastened up this discussion. We whitethorn get there.”

He noted nan tremendous contracts fixed to a brace of first-year coaches, pinch Chicago’s Ben Johnson getting $13 cardinal annually and Jacksonville’s Liam Coen getting $12 cardinal per season.

“Those 2 guys brought a mixed zero games of acquisition arsenic caput coaches to nan proverbial negotiating table,” Breer wrote. “Logically, that gives LaFleur, who’s been to 2 NFC title games and is 16th all-time successful winning percent (.654), plentifulness of room to inquire for betwixt $15 cardinal and $20 million.”

For what it’s worth, 1 convention root said LaFleur could beryllium blameworthy of overvaluing his worthy based connected his constricted playoff resume. Another pointed to nan deficiency of proven coaches successful this rhythm successful saying LaFleur would beryllium successful position to “pick his job,” particularly pinch erstwhile Ravens coach John Harbaugh taking nan Giants occupation and erstwhile Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reportedly wanting to beryllium retired nan upcoming season.

The mobility is whether nan Packers will dole retired that hefty of a statement to a coach who has won 1 playoff crippled nan past 5 seasons and has grounded to triumph nan NFC North since 2021.

“Of course,” LaFleur said a time aft nan wild-card nonaccomplishment erstwhile asked if he wants to stay pinch nan Packers. “I mean, this is 1 of one. I emotion this place. I emotion nan people. As overmuch arsenic you guys thrust maine nuts sometimes, I emotion you guys. I emotion our players, nan locker room, everybody successful our organization.

“This is simply a unsocial place. The organization has been outstanding. I grew up successful nan Midwest, and it’s sewage nan aforesaid type of vibe that I grew up successful Mount Pleasant, Mich. Unless you’re from here, you don’t understand really friends everybody is. And it’s nice, nary matter who you are, you’re stepping down nan thoroughfare and group opportunity hullo to 1 another. And I’ve lived successful different places, truthful I deliberation this is simply a unsocial spot and it’s a typical place. My kids emotion it here, my family loves it here.”

Time’s Running Short

From 1 perspective, clip is connected nan Packers’ side, pinch only Harbaugh disconnected nan board. All nan different candidates are available, pinch galore of them being adjunct coaches connected playoff teams that person games this weekend. The Packers would beryllium successful a catch-up mode, pinch galore of those coaches having had virtual interviews complete nan past respective days.

One objection is their celebrated protect coordinator, Jeff Hafley, who was connected nan question and reply database of six teams.

Moreover, nan uncertainty could effect LaFleur’s unit if he were to return. If Hafley becomes a coach elsewhere, they’d person to switch him. Potentially their apical in-house candidate, DeMarcus Covington, has met pinch nan Cowboys and Jets astir their coordinator openings.

History of Coach Trades

In 2023, nan Saints traded Sean Payton and a third-round prime to nan Broncos for first- and second-round choices. Payton, who led New Orleans to a Super Bowl title successful 2009, has nan Broncos arsenic nan No. 1 seed successful this year’s AFC playoffs.

In nan mother of each coach trades, nan Buccaneers successful 2002 traded 2 first-round picks and 2 second-round picks to nan Raiders for Jon Gruden. Gruden led nan Bucs to a Super Bowl triumph – complete nan Raiders, nary little – during his debut season.

In 1999, Holmgren – nan coach who led nan Packers to Super Bowl glory – opted to time off Green Bay successful bid to go coach, wide head and executive vice president of nan Seahawks. With Seattle, it took him until Year 7 to scope nan playoffs, pinch that 2005 squad being nan only 1 that reached a Super Bowl.

The Packers utilized nan draught pick, No. 47 overall, connected cornerback Fred Vinson. In a abstracted waste and acquisition a twelvemonth later, nan Packers sent Vinson to Seattle successful nan woody that sent record-setting moving backmost Ahman Green to Green Bay.

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