What an unusual week that was. We had Adam Schefter dropping cryptic updates, at one stage saying, "there's something going on in Green Bay." There was speculation about trading Matt LaFleur, and an overall sense of uncertainty.
Now that LaFleur is reportedly locked into a multiyear extension, we are finally getting answers to what went down.
So, how close were the Packers to firing LaFleur? The answer? Not at all. According to Dianna Russini and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Green Bay's playoff meltdown "had almost no bearing" on president Ed Policy's decision.
"In the week since the Packers' season ended, Policy didn't spend much time considering whether to offer LaFleur an extension — his mind appeared to have already been made up — and instead worked with LaFleur, Gutekunst and vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball individually and collectively to ensure everyone was aligned and wanted to be in Green Bay," The Athletic's report reads.
The Packers reportedly didn't even consider firing Matt LaFleur after the season
So, what was with all the drama? Every time an NFL insider went on air, we kept hearing about the uncertainty. The negotiations. What if LaFleur wants to move on? What if they can't agree to terms? What if they want to hire John Harbaugh?
In reality, it was never in doubt.
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Policy was already comfortable with LaFleur's body of work and wanted to extend him. That explains it taking a week. They clearly didn't have to move with the same kind of urgency we all expected. There was never going to be a need to scramble for a new head coach. It was only a matter of time before the two sides reached a deal.
And here we are. At last.
No matter whether you were on Team Fire LaFleur or wanted him to stay, we can all agree that the report of a new deal is a breath of fresh air for one reason. There's no more uncertainty, anxious refreshing social media for updates, or the risk of the Packers moving too late and rushing through an interview process for a new head coach.
Win or lose, this is still LaFleur's team. There's undoubtedly more pressure than before, as the days of "playing with house money" are long gone.
But the Packers have made their decision, providing clarity over their coach's future. Now, we can push forward with the offseason and hope this team can use the next eight months to get healthy and address their biggest concerns.