Six days and counting. Still no concrete update on the future of Matt LaFleur.
It's undoubtedly a complex process. Green Bay Packers president Ed Policy must determine LaFleur's future, whether to extend general manager Brian Gutekunst, and then decide the structure. Will they both report to Policy, or will Gutekunst take on more power? That's to be determined. But for the fanbase, it's beyond frustrating that there's still no clarity.
ESPN's Rob Demovsky shed some light on how this week has unfolded. Appearing on Wilde & Tausch on ESPN Milwaukee, Demovsky said that on Tuesday night, it sounded like news was imminent. Then nothing happened.
"Tuesday night, I went to bed setting alarms at like 5 am, 7 am, 8 am, because I thought it was really close to be doing done and news could break at any moment. I talked to a bunch of people that led me to believe that it was headed that way," said Demovsky.
"Those people have kind of gone silent. That could mean one of two things ... People either get quiet when stuff is about to happen and then they don't want to give you any tip-off that it has happened or is going to happen. Or they go quiet because there was some sort of snag and something went backwards. I don't know what the case is."
Packers' silence on Matt LaFleur's future leaves fans with more questions than answers
Demovsky is right that silence doesn't necessarily mean inactivity. A deal could be imminent, or who knows, maybe it's ready to go. But as he points out, the opposite could also be true.
The Packers don't have to make anything public. The last time they extended LaFleur's contract, news didn't break until months after the fact. It's highly unlikely that would happen again, though, given the intense media spotlight on the situation. Had the Packers and LaFleur agreed to an extension, the team would presumably want that information out there to end any speculation.
LaFleur would also need to finalize his coaching staff for 2026, which would provide the ultimate clue that he isn't going anywhere.
It follows a cryptic update from ESPN's Adam Schefter earlier this week, when he said "there's something going on in Green Bay" and that we've got to "keep watching Green Bay."
Schefter didn't specify what that could mean, but it was a hint that negotiations weren't as clear-cut as they initially seemed.
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There's no shortage of speculation about the why. Have negotiations hit a stumbling block over money? Is it the length of the contract and perceived job security?
As we're six days removed from the Packers' playoff exit, we can assume Ed Policy wants LaFleur back, or else he would've presumably moved on by now. But on what terms? If Policy hopes to sign LaFleur to a short-term extension but LaFleur wants more security, where does that leave them? LaFleur could potentially get a better deal elsewhere if he became available.
Time will tell. There needs to be some sense of urgency. If LaFleur stays in Green Bay, he will need to make necessary changes to his coaching staff, which likely includes finding a replacement for Jeff Hafley, who is in contention for multiple head coach jobs.
If the Packers and LaFleur part ways, they will need a new head coach, and time is already running out as the top candidates begin to find landing spots.