The Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs yet again, which means that moribund teams across the league will be watching this coaching staff very closely as they try to pilfer away some of the names with the most cachet across the NFL.
While offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich is likely not going to get a ton of interest due to the fact he does not call plays for Matt LaFleur, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is starting to get some genuine buzz as a head coaching candidate due to his work with what has generally been dubbed an undermanned defense in recent years.
The Packers may need to be in the market for a new defensive coordinator this offseason, as in a coaching cycle that lacks tons of home-run names, Hafley is looking like one of the best of the bunch.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Hafley is the candidate he believes is the most likely to secure a head coaching job in this cycle. With Green Bay still a viable playoff team despite some massive personnel changes on that side of the ball, it's no wonder Hafley is as highly regarded as he is.
Packers DC Jeff Hafley regarded as most likely candidate to get head coaching job
Not only has Hafley managed to give Green Bay some solid defenses despite often facing some huge talent discrepancies when compared to some of the opponents he's going up against, but he had this unit looking borderline elite when Micah Parsons was wrecking the game as the team's top pass rusher.
Hafley has past head coaching experience, as he went 22-26 in four seasons as the head coach at Boston College. Given how hard it is to recruit up there, winning that consistently at a program like BC could be a sign that he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
One problem the Packers may need to face if Hafley leaves is a massive staff exodus. Not only is he likely to take some of the defensive assistants to create his hypothetical staff elsewhere, but he could even lure Stenavich away with the promise of letting him call plays.
You can't keep your best assistants forever, as some team will try to poach them and replicate whatever success they had in a new destination. Hafley may use his time with the Packers as a springboard from which he could kick-start a successful career as a head honcho elsewhere.