The Green Bay Packers limped their way through the playoffs and may have missed the postseason had it not been for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's efforts. Hafley's hard work to keep opponents out of the end zone paid off in the form of a postseason berth, and that success has led to his becoming one of the hottest names during the NFL's latest coaching hiring cycle.
With the end of the campaign just around the corner, Hafley has had to juggle questions about his future with the team. Fortunately for the team and head coach Matt LaFleur, he continues to take the high road and say all the right things. That happened again in his press conference on Thursday.
“Hearing my name out there, it’s obviously extremely flattering and very humbling,” Hafley said, per Packers insider Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “But I’m going to do everything in my power to focus on every minute that I have to give this organization and our players everything I got to go win this game.”
Hafley has already dismissed this narrative multiple times. While he admits that he would obviously like to be a head coach again, he's thankful for the opportunity he has in Green Bay, and helping the Packers win will be his only priority for as long as the team is still playing.
Jeff Hafley Couldn't Be Handling His Uncertain Packers Future Any Better
A defensive specialist, Hafley finally helped a Packers defense that was full of talent and always underachieved become a championship-caliber unit. Even with star pass rusher Micah Parsons out for the season and with not that much talent at cornerback, this unit held its own more often than not. Green Bay held opponents to 20 or fewer points more times (9) than they didn't (8), illustrating just how good Hafley is at his job.
With multiple team already doing their due diligence on several coaching candidates and a couple more likely to join the race, it's hard to believe the Packers will be able to keep the former Boston College head coach around for much longer. That's even more so the case after the Miami Dolphins fired HC Mike McDaniel on Thursday, creating another opening for Hafley to consider if the interest is there.
Even so, none of that matters now. The Packers must focus all of their efforts on getting past the Chicago Bears on Saturday. They'll be undermanned and on the road, but as much as offense wins games, defense wins championships.
Hafley will be put to the test. Ben Johnson has an outstanding and creative offensive mind and a never-ending bag of tricks at his disposal, not to mention plenty of talent in Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, D'Andre Swift, and Colston Loveland. That being said, there's a reason why at least half a dozen teams are keeping tabs on the Packers' defensive coordinator.