Jeff Hafley, we still love you, but this is getting silly now.
The Miami Dolphins' relentless assault on the Green Bay Packers' front office and coaching staff has continued. First, they hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new GM, who picked Hafley as Miami's next head coach. Hafley has since stolen Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard and linebackers coach Sean Duggan.
He isn't finished. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports that the Dolphins are hiring defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis. Wilson then dropped an even bigger update: defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley is also leaving, although it's unclear at this stage if he, too, is Miami-bound.
Losing Ansley is significant, especially for All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney.
Why Derrick Ansley's departure stings for Xavier McKinney
Ansley recruited McKinney to Alabama in 2017, and McKinney has had nothing but high praise for him since. He even admitted that Ansley was among the reasons he wanted to sign with the Packers in free agency two years ago.
"Once I heard that, it was something I was happy about. It definitely was something that sparked interest for me, big time," McKinney said in March 2024.
McKinney has worked closely with Ansley since arriving in Green Bay, earning two All-Pro honors and making a Pro Bowl in two seasons.
Ansley was one of the most experienced members of the defensive staff. It became clear that change was coming after the Packers hired Bobby Babich as their new passing game coordinator and secondary coach, the same role Ansley held. What we didn't know was whether it meant Ansley was in line for a promotion or if he was leaving.
Turns out it was the latter.
Babich is a great hire. He is an excellent coach with defensive coordinator experience from his time in Buffalo. The Bills players loved Babich, and he is a huge hire for the Packers. But it still hurts to lose Ansley.
The Packers are in the process of a significant overhaul of their defensive staff, in part by design and in part out of necessity. Half of their defensive coaches from last season have left: Hafley, Duggan, Downward, Davis, and now Ansley. Four have moved to Miami, and it's entirely possible Ansley could join them.
Green Bay hired Jonathan Gannon as its new defensive coordinator and Babich as the secondary coach and passing game coordinator. They both add a ton of experience. The Packers still need a linebackers coach — Gannon's former defensive coordinator, Nick Rallis, would be a dream addition. He was also Gannon's linebackers coach in Philadelphia.
There's plenty of work still to be done, especially if Hafley keeps stealing Packers coaches.
Losing Ansley hurts, for everybody, but perhaps nobody more than McKinney.