Well, it is a bit earlier than many Green Bay Packers fans expected to have these conversations, but after losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round, their season is over.
Despite a very loud call on social media from some Packers fans, reports indicate that Matt LaFleur is likely to receive a contract extension. While this can and will be debated in the coming weeks, there is perhaps a more pressing matter for the Packers' front office: replacing defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley if (and likely when) he leaves for a head coach job.
Hafley has turned Green Bay's defense into one of the top units in the NFL, and after leaving his head coaching job at Boston College to come back to the NFL, he seems poised to lead a franchise into 2026. He already has five interview requests, and during his end-of-season press conference on Sunday, LaFleur stated that he is confident Hafley will nail the interview process and land a job.
For now, he is still on the staff, and Micah Parsons is certainly lobbying for "Haf" to return, but all indications point to the Packers needing a new defensive coordinator. It will be LaFleur's third time hiring for the spot, so it is important to make the correct decision.
Potential defensive coordinator targets for Packers if Jeff Hafley departs
1. Jim Leonhard, Broncos assistant head coach/passing game coordinator
Jim Leonhard is going to be the leader in the clubhouse for Packers fans, especially in Wisconsin, if the job opens up. Leonhard is a Wisconsin native who played his college ball for the Badgers, and after a lengthy professional playing career, returned to his alma mater as a coach. Leonhard started as a defensive backs coach before rising to defensive coordinator, and eventually interim head coach.
The biggest, perhaps only, negative of hiring Leonhard would be going back to a 3-4 scheme after spending the last two seasons in a 4-3. Of course, that is just the base package, and most defenses operate out of a nickel anyway. Leonhard would be a welcome presence to follow Hafley, as he notably excels at creating unique pressures that drive quarterbacks crazy. While with Denver, he helped turn cornerback Patrick Surtain II into an NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
LaFleur has previously considered Leonhard for the role. He turned the Packers down before they hired Joe Barry in 2021. Is this the time? We shall see.
2. Al Harris, Bears defensive backs coach
While we're dishing up reunions/homecomings, Al Harris is another name to watch in this conversation.
Harris is a beloved former member of the Packers, playing here from 2003 to 2010, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro cornerback in 2007. He had one of the more notable moments in Packers history, intercepting Matt Hasselbeck in the playoffs after the QB famously declared, "We want the ball, and we're going to score." His pick-six won the Packers the game in overtime.
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After his playing days were over, Harris joined the coaching ranks under former Packers coach Joe Philbin, eventually spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Florida Atlantic University, the Dallas Cowboys, and now the Chicago Bears as their defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Besides being elected to the Packers Hall of Fame in 2021, there are some other ties worth exploring. Harris was Trevon Diggs' defensive backs coach when he earned All-Pro honors in Dallas. A reunion could certainly be beneficial for both parties. Harris would also likely run a 4-3 scheme, maintaining some much-needed continuity.
3. Matt Eberflus, former Bears HC and Cowboys DC
This one would be weird, and certainly gave me pause while typing. Eberflus has had a rough go in the coaching ranks over the past couple of seasons, being fired as the Bears' head coach during the 2024 season, and then going to Dallas, only to be fired after one season as their defensive coordinator.
That said, there is some "benefit of the doubt." First, his overall track record is pretty good. Despite being a terrible head coach for a struggling franchise, Eberflus did help the Bears' defense rise up the ranks after turning around the Indianapolis Colts' squad.
If we're all being honest, there wasn't much that was going to make the Cowboys' defense very good after Jerry Jones traded Micah Parsons to the Packers. So his departure could be Green Bay's gain. Like Harris, Eberflus also uses a 4-3 base scheme, designed to force turnovers from the secondary by playing with high intensity and making smart plays.
Green Bay certainly struggled to take the ball away in 2025. Adding a coordinator who emphasizes takeaways could be key. If he could turn the Colts unit of lesser-known talent into a top-10 defense, he could certainly try his hand at fixing Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine.
4. Raheem Morris, former Falcons head coach
Another possible reunion candidate of sorts. However, this would be with head coach Matt LaFleur, not the Packers organization. If your job is potentially on the line, it makes sense to go to someone you are very familiar with and have worked with in the past.
Morris and LaFleur first crossed paths in the NFL coaching ranks with Washington back in 2012, when LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach, and Morris coached defensive backs. The two were reunited in Atlanta under Dan Quinn's staff, working even closer together when Morris made the jump to wide receivers coach in 2016, with LaFleur serving as quarterbacks coach once again.
LaFleur later took the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator job under Sean McVay, and then spent a year with the Tennessee Titans before becoming the Packers' head coach. Morris stayed with Dan Quinn until Quinn was fired, before taking the reins as interim head coach. He joined the Rams for their 2022 Super Bowl and landed the head job with the Falcons ahead of the 2024 season.
Morris has been known to use both a 3-4 and a 4-3, which could help maintain continuity while also giving the defense a new look. While Morris may not be a great head coach, he certainly has proven his ability as a defensive coordinator.
5. DeMarcus Covington, Packers defensive line coach
This would be the internal option, which admittedly may not be the best choice. Covington served as a defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots in 2024. Under his leadership, the Patriots fell from the seventh-ranked defense in 2023 to 22nd in 2024.
The problems may have been player-related and part of a much bigger problem the Patriots faced before cleaning house and hiring Mike Vrabel ahead of the 2025 season. Current Packers defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley has also served as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, where he helmed the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023, one of the worst units in football that season.
Either way, the internal options aren't the best. Covington gets the nod due to lengthy experience with the Patriots' defensive system. He has made an impact in his role with the Packers this year.
If Hafley departs, Green Bay needs to hire a proven coach who can help take them to the Super Bowl. This franchise is in win-now mode, and they have to get this decision right.