They say misery loves company, but the Green Bay Packers just love it when the Minnesota Vikings are miserable.
Timing is everything, and it almost feels intentional that the Packers would announce their extensions for head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst almost immediately after the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The Vikings' decision to fire Adofo-Mensah felt extremely abrupt and was a huge surprise around the league, especially considering Adofo-Mensah had just signed an extension with the Vikings last May. How quickly the tables have turned...
Packers pour salt in Vikings' wounds by extending Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst
It wasn't all that long ago that there was some speculation running rampant about the idea that the Packers could potentially trade Matt LaFleur or fire him because of the Packers' quick exit from the playoffs. Some folks had even started talking about the idea that LaFleur could be an ideal pairing with Jon-Eric Sullivan in Miami.
Now, the tables have turned. The Packers not only didn't entertain the fantasy ideas of trading away their head coach, but they kept their brain trust together. Meanwhile, the Vikings are dealing with an extremely late decision to fire the general manager they just gave an extension to.
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And the "why" behind that one seems pretty straightforward. Although the Vikings seem adamant that it wasn't just one move that led to Adofo-Mensah's dismissal, the fact that Sam Darnold is representing the NFC in this year's Super Bowl -- and not as a member of the Vikings -- undoubtedly played a major factor there.
If you look at the way the Vikings have drafted since Adofo-Mensah was brought in during the 2022 offseason, it's also extremely underwhelming. The Vikings have obviously assembled a roster good enough to win 14 games during the 2024 season, but the decision to go with JJ McCarthy coming off a significant injury and let Darnold walk was likely the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.
For the Packers, continuity can be perceived by the fan base in a lot of different ways. It can be viewed as tolerance of playoff failures by some, but the wise course of action is to stick with the vision shared by LaFleur and Gutekunst. Those two have built a really impressive roster together, Jordan Love has developed into an MVP-caliber quarterback, and a healthy Micah Parsons had the Packers looking like they might be on their way to rolling through the NFC in the playoffs.
There are times to move on and clean house, but the Packers have always been an extremely patient organization. Even with a more aggressive approach to upgrading the roster in recent years than many have been accustomed to, the decision to stick with LaFleur and Gutekunst through a rough season with unmet expectations is the right call.
And they just so happened to make that right call right after the Vikings shocked their entire fan base by firing the GM.