GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The unfortunate climax to the so full of promise 2021 season last Saturday night at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, sent the Green Bay Packers into the unexpectedly early off-season Monday. The Wild Card Niners upset the NFC’s top seed 13-10 at Lambeau Field to advance to the Conference Championship Game and left the Packers to ponder what should have been.
A somber Matt LaFleur meets the press one last time.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur appeared before the Zoom camera one last time, spending 45 minutes explaining how the prohibitive Super Bowl LVI favorites failed to get past even the first post-season hurdle thrown in front of them. As good as the Packers have played under LaFleur in three regular seasons (39-10), winning the NFC North Division title each year, it’s only been playoff heartbreak (2-3), falling a step away from the Super Bowl in the first two years before the stunning exit in the Divisional Round with home field advantage to boot.
Before fielding questions, LaFleur began with a soul-searching opening to his 2021 farewell address.
Much of the conversation that followed centered on the player LaFleur wants to lead his team over that hump, Aaron Rodgers. While he may well win his second consecutive NFL Most Valuable Player Award in a couple of weeks, which would be his fourth in his franchise record 17 season career in Green Bay, Rodgers admitted after the game Saturday night wasn’t his best effort. Since leading the Packers to the Super Bowl title 11 years ago, his record in the post-season has dipped below .500 at 7-8. He has one year remaining (at a salary cap figure in excess of 46 million dollars) on his contract that was restructured to eliminate the final year in 2023 which played a role in convincing him to return after a tumultuous off-season a year ago.
LaFleur said he spoke with Rodgers at length Monday but declined to offer details on the nature of the conversation. He remains “hopeful” that Rodgers will want to return and there’s “no debate” that the entire front office, President and CEO Mark Murphy, Vice-President of Football Operations Russ Ball and General Manager Brian Gutekunst all want him back.
Aaron Rodgers following playoff loss to San Francisco
Rodgers indicated after the game he wants to make a decision on his future plans in a more timely manner than the long, protracted absence of 2021 which ended just as training camp began.
LaFleur said he’s willing to give Rodgers the time he needs but the team’s goal will be to convince him to come back and ultimately retire as a Packer. The Head Coach said he hasn’t allowed himself to even consider the possibility Rodgers may not want to come back, be it a desire to play somewhere else or retire. Rodgers has said he’s not interested in a “rebuild” season but LaFleur countered by saying that won’t be the case in Green Bay.
There will be considerable roster turnover regardless. If Rodgers is brought back on a multi-year extension with restructured money, the salary cap implications on signing free agents or retaining their own will be restrictive.
All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams headlines that list which includes more than 20 unrestricted or restricted free agents who will have contracts expire in March. With the Packers already over the cap by an estimated 40 million dollars plus, prioritizing and signing those free agents will require difficult deliberations and creative financing.
LaFleur said he’ll be very involved in those discussions with Gutekunst and Ball and they’ll want to keep as many players as possible but high turnover is a given every year in the NFL.
There may be turnover on his coaching staff as well. Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett had a second interview with the Denver Broncos on Monday and is considered one of three finalist candidates to succeed Vic Fangio. LaFleur has been a vocal supporter of Hackett’s pursuit of a Head Coaching job, interviewing for openings for a second straight off-season. If he leaves, LaFleur said they’ll likely promote from within. There are two strong candidates in Quarterback Coach and Passing Game Coordinator Luke Getsy, who also interviewed for the Denver job, and Offensive Line Coach Adam Stenavich.
Regarding Special Teams Coordinator Maurice Drayton, under extreme fire for the failures of his unit against San Francisco and for season long issues, LaFleur said he’s only had a chance to review the playoff game film and conduct exit interviews with players. They haven’t even gotten to the point yet of evaluating the coaching staff much less contemplating changes. Regardless of how that process gets finished, LaFleur said he plans to be even more involved with that phase of the team.
The usual routine on the final day of the season would allow reporters inside the team’s locker room, watching them pack up belongings, offering reporters a chance to visit with players face to face one last time. In now the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, that ritual has disappeared. Instead, the team sent five players to say their “virtual” goodbyes via Zoom interviews. The list included mostly young players, like top two draft picks Eric Stokes and Josh Myers along with A.J. Dillon, Rashan Gary and Rasul Douglas. Only Douglas will have an expiring contract in eight weeks.
I put together a collection of comments from each of the players.
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