Coach Who Previously Rejected Packers May Land in NFC North
Monday marked a huge day in the NFL coaching cycle, as the consensus top candidate, Ben Johnson, reportedly agreed to a deal with the Chicago Bears.
Chicago landing someone as coveted as Johnson is certainly noteworthy for the Green Bay Packers, who'll now face a Bears offense many expect to hit new heights with the former Detroit Lions coordinator calling the shots.
However, it turns out Green Bay may see another familiar face on Chicago's sidelines next season.
Bears also are heavily pursuing former Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi as their special teams coach, per sources. He has interest from over a half-dozen teams but if Rizzi doesn’t land a head coaching job, Chicago is his potential landing spot. https://t.co/ErIQmZ3te9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2025
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Chicago is "heavily pursuing" special teams coach Darren Rizzi for the same job in the Windy City. Rizzi previously worked with Dennis Allen in New Orleans, and the latter is already expected to be joining Johnson's Bears staff for 2025, giving Chicago a special advantage to hire the in-demand special teams mastermind.
Rizzi's name may ring a bell to some Packers fans, and it certainly will be remembered by those in the front office.
When Matt LaFleur took over as the team's head coach during the 2019 offseason, Green Bay made a serious push to hire Rizzi, who was not retained by the Miami Dolphins.
However, despite even visiting with the LaFleur and company, Rizzi removed himself from the search. The Milwaukee Jornal Sentinel then reported the ST coach's price was "high," which likely played a part in him passing on the opportunity in Green Bay.
Just a few weeks later, Rizzi was officially hired by the Saints, whom he spent the last five seasons with. He even took over as interim head coach when Allen was fired midway through the 2024 campaign, though he posted a dismal 2-7 record while calling the shots.
The Packers losing out on Rizzi is an intriguing what-if. Green Bay went on to cycle through disappointing special teams coordinators like Shawn Mennenga and Maurice Drayton before making a significant investment to hire Rich Bisaccia. Yet, Bisaccia's also had his fair share of struggles despite being paid top dollar.
It's difficult not to wonder how Rizzi may have helped prevent the various special teams blunders that have hurt the Packers in high-stakes moments. If he does land in Chicago, the Packers will need to consider that unit a threat.
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