Matt LaFleur has already interviewed multiple candidates for the Green Bay Packers' vacant defensive coordinator position, and that number will only increase in the days ahead.
Regardless of how many coaches LaFleur speaks to, there's one name that a large section of Packers fans want to return home: Al Harris.
Harris is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame after making two Pro Bowls during his seven-year stay in Green Bay, and he's now rising through the coaching ranks. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, LaFleur has interviewed Harris for the defensive coordinator job.
It not only caught the attention of Packers fans, but also that of the team's former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Mike Daniels. He only needed two words to capture the feeling of the fanbase regarding Harris.
"Do it," Daniels posted on X.
Al Harris would bring the change in culture Mike Daniels wants from the Packers
Daniels has long spoken about the Packers' culture and a lack of toughness on defense, even pre-dating LaFleur's tenure. Last week, Daniels appeared on the Pack-A-Day Podcast and explained the difference in hatred NFC North teams have for the Packers compared to the other way around.
"I think it's not a LaFleur thing. There's a hatred that in Green Bay we don't have," Daniels said. "Anthony Barr dropped on Aaron Rodgers. They were celebrating like the king is dead. These guys hate us, and when I would say, we lost to the Lions, and I remember saying, 'I don't care if I gotta punch someone in the face,' and they say, 'Yo, tell this guy to shut up.'"
It's no surprise, then, that Daniels approves of LaFleur interviewing Harris.
While the Bears' defense lacked consistency this season, they played with physicality. There was an edge to them, to a fault sometimes, including Austin Booker's unnecessary hits on Jordan Love in Week 16 and the Wild Card Round.
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Harris gets it, especially the NFC North rivalries. Not only is he a former player who spent seven seasons in Green Bay, but he has now coached on the other side of it against the Packers. He understands the rivalry.
Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote that Harris is a "proponent of aggressive cornerback play," which we saw in Chicago. And while we don't know what Harris' scheme would look like as he hasn't called plays before, Silverstein predicts that, based on the coaches he has worked with, Harris would likely "incorporate a lot of blitzing."
The Packers Hall of Famer has made a massive impact working with defensive backs, especially when it comes to generating takeaways.
In five years with the Cowboys, the defense intercepted 82 passes, the third-most in the NFL during that span. His Bears defense just led the NFL with 23 picks in 17 games. In six seasons working directly with the defensive backs, Harris' defenses have intercepted 105 passes.
The Packers have no shortage of talented candidates for the position. LaFleur has reportedly interviewed Christian Parker, a rising star with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was an assistant under LaFleur in Green Bay from 2019 to 2020.
LaFleur could also interview Denver Broncos pass-game coordinator Jim Leonhard, who was a frontrunner for the defensive coordinator job in 2021, although he has to wait until the Broncos have played in the AFC Championship Game this weekend.
But Harris is in contention for the job, and deservedly so. Packers fans would love to bring him home, and Daniels echoed their thoughts.