It was inevitable. It was coming any day. Now it has, and it hurts.
As expected, Jeff Hafley's time with the Green Bay Packers is coming to an end. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins are hiring Hafley as their next head coach.
It's a move that became painfully obvious once the Dolphins hired former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager. Hafley immediately skyrocketed to the top of their candidate list, and unsurprisingly, he aced the interview process. Miami moved quickly, as Hafley had further in-person interviews scheduled with multiple teams this week.
Packers must move quickly to find their replacement for Jeff Hafley
The dominoes are falling into place in Green Bay. Matt LaFleur will return, Hafley won't. That's what we know.
LaFleur's first big move after signing his contract extension will be to find a replacement for Hafley, which won't be easy. He needs to act quickly, as the Packers can only now begin the interview process, while other teams have had longer to work through theirs.
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A standout name to watch is Raheem Morris, with whom LaFleur has a close relationship and previously coached with in Atlanta. Morris is a highly respected coach, having previously had success as Sean McVay's defensive coordinator in Los Angeles. His players loved him.
Other candidates include Jim Leonhard, who was reportedly the Packers' top choice for the DC job before they hired Joe Barry. It will be interesting to see if LaFleur would still want to bring him in or whether that ship has sailed.
If Sean McDermott, who the Buffalo Bills fired on Monday, doesn't land another head-coaching gig, would he consider a defensive coordinator job in Green Bay?
LaFleur has options, including promoting defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, who has received defensive coordinator interviews elsewhere, or highly-regarded passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley.
The Packers have a lot to think about, but they must move fast. Hafley is a tough act to follow.