Matt LaFleur's future has become an uncomfortable conversation this season, and one Green Bay Packers reporter has again reopened that door of uncertainty.
The Packers just lost their third straight, an embarrassing 41-24 shellacking at the hands of the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens. LaFleur's depleted team looks destined for a first-round playoff exit, and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic believes such a scenario could raise further questions about his job security.
"Won't harp on LaFleur's future too much until the season is over, but I do think Ed Policy will have a tough decision to make if the Packers lose in the first round," Schneidman wrote. "Handful of factors to consider both for and against the head coach."
Matt LaFleur's uncertain future once again becomes a talking point, but Packers should put an end to it
The Packers need to end the debate and extend LaFleur's contract now. Shut down the speculation and the uncertainty. Yes, his team is reeling and looking destined for a knockout punch the moment the playoffs begin, but it's not entirely LaFleur's fault.
It's not LaFleur who ignored the cornerback deficiency, something Packers fans screamed about all offseason. Or that the team overpaid Aaron Banks and didn't do nearly enough to build a championship offensive line. It's not on LaFleur that the interior defensive line is among the worst in the league.
Those issues fall on general manager Brian Gutekunst.
It's understandable that Packers fans may feel some frustration or question LaFleur's future. Trading for Micah Parsons was a sign of all-in aggression, a move to win it all. That doesn't equal nine victories and the No. 7 seed for the third straight year.
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All-in doesn't mean losing to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers. Or botching an onside kick and throwing away a two-possession lead late in the fourth quarter. Or waving the white flag on defense in a 307-yard, four-touchdown embarrassment.
However, there's nuance. LaFleur isn't perfect, but his record speaks for itself.
He has secured a playoff berth for the third straight year and the sixth time in seven seasons. His team has shown unequivocal resilience, having to overcome the losses of Tucker Kraft, Elgton Jenkins, Devonte Wyatt, and, later, Micah Parsons. It's proving too much. His team is depleted, especially on defense, and their resistance can only last so long.
Before the onside kick and the fourth-quarter meltdown in Chicago, LaFleur looked on track for arguably the most impressive victory of his career. He took on the NFC North-leading Bears with no Parsons. No Evan Williams. No Zach Tom. The Packers soon lost Jordan Love. Yet they still dominated the game, kept the Bears out of the end zone before the two-minute warning, and were poised to take back control of the NFC North.
If Romeo Doubs catches the onside kick, we're talking about LaFleur's genius game plan in a big-time win.
But that's the NFL. It didn't happen, and the Packers are now enduring a three-game losing streak while having to run the playoff gauntlet. Again.
That's why the question about his future is there. But the Packers should end it now. LaFleur is an outstanding coach who knows how to win. A championship likely won't happen this season, but he is working with a depleted defense and an offensive line that has produced below-par results all year. There's only so much he can do to fix that.
What LaFleur has done is produce another playoff team. Jordan Love has made significant strides and taken the next step toward stardom. Malik Willis is going to make massive money in the offseason for his work in LaFleur's system.
This team needed everything to click to make a championship run. Having faced a brutal schedule without a break since Week 5, and now with injuries to key players piling up, this Packers team is in trouble. They look finished.
It raises doubts about LaFleur's future, but moving on would be a mistake. Good luck finding a better head coach. New team president Ed Policy started the drama by not extending LaFleur in the summer.
Now, he needs to end it.