It has felt inevitable that the Green Bay Packers will lose Jeff Hafley to a head coach job this offseason, but there might be a glimmer of hope.
Rumors pointed to the New York Giants as the most likely destination, which made sense, given his connection to New Jersey. Now, though, that is far less clear, as the Giants could look elsewhere.
Ian O'Connor of The Athletic believes that Kevin Stefanski, whom the Cleveland Browns fired this week, is the "leader in the Giants clubhouse." And, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Stefanski is expected to speak with the Giants about the opening.
Kevin Stefanski's future could directly impact whether Packers lose Jeff Hafley
Stefanski could immediately walk into another head-coaching job, and the Giants are among several teams potentially interested. That's the biggest domino in the Hafley sweepstakes. While other teams could undoubtedly interview the Packers' talented defensive coordinator, a move to the Big Apple always felt like the most likely outcome.
Hafley doesn't bring the NFL head-coaching experience that Stefanski would, but he was a head coach at Boston College before joining Matt LaFleur's staff.
READ MORE: Packers just received a massive advantage over Bears in playoffs
And you only have to watch two minutes of a Jeff Hafley press conference to get a sense of his leadership qualities and incredible communication. Teams interviewing Hafley will love him.
It doesn't guarantee him a job in this year's cycle, though.
The Packers' defense has also taken a step back in the final month of the regular season, although it's hard to put too much of the blame on Hafley.
Losing Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt left the Packers depleted at two crucial positions along the defensive line while exposing the lack of talent in the secondary that Hafley had helped hide for much of the season. He can only work with the players he has, and a concerning lack of depth at premium positions is haunting the Packers late in the season.
Hafley remains one of the top candidates in this year's coaching cycle, but if Stefanski lands the Giants job, it would increase his chances of remaining in Green Bay dramatically.
Alongside the New York job, the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans also have openings.
Some of those teams may prefer to hire an offensive-minded coach, or even opt for NFL head-coaching experience with a candidate like Mike McCarthy. In terms of defensive candidates, Hafley is among the top options alongside Brian Flores and Chris Shula.
His departure from Green Bay doesn't feel as guaranteed as before, though. The Packers may have hope.