Green Bay Packers: 50 greatest players in franchise history

Greatest players in Green Bay Packers history: 46. Paul Coffman

Historically, the Packers have had their fair share of success at the tight end position. Paul Coffman was the reliable pass catcher in the middle of the field for The Pack in the early 1980s. No, Green Bay wasn’t very good during this time, but Coffman was.

Undrafted out of Kansas State, Coffman would sign with the Packers ahead of the 1978 NFL season. He would play his first eight professional seasons with Green Bay. Throughout his Green Bay career, Coffman would consistently have 45 catches for over 500 yards and four touchdowns annually. Beginning in the strike-shortened 1982 season, Coffman would make his first of three consecutive Pro Bowls.

However, Green Bay would only make the playoffs once during Coffman’s time with the team. That would come in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Coffman would leave the Packers after the 1985 NFL season. He played with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1986 and 1987 NFL season before playing one last year with the 1988 Minnesota Vikings before retiring.

Three of Coffman’s sons would go on to have football careers. Coffman ended up with 322 catches for 4,223 yards and 39 touchdowns in his eight-year Green Bay career. He played in 119 games for Green Bay, starting in 102 of them. Coffman helped pave the way for other future Packers tight ends like Bubba Franks, Jermichael Finley and hopefully the last little bit of Jimmy Graham’s prime.