Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley made it clear this week that he’s more focused on the team’s upcoming playoff run than he is on any potential head coaching openings. While the Packers open that run with Saturday’s Wild Card matchup against the Chicago Bears, it’s hard not to acknowledge the elephant in the room, as Hafley is one of the top candidates in this year’s coaching cycle.
With that, many have tried to connect the dots to see where Hafley could land and if there’s any hope he stays in Green Bay. But for those hoping he would return for a third season to lead the defense, they were given a crushing blow when NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Miami Dolphins are working to hire Packers’ VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as the team’s next general manager.
While other teams will certainly contact Hafley when he’s able to interview for jobs next week, Green Bay's defensive coordinator landing in Miami seems like it could be the biggest threat to the Packers retaining the coordinator after Miami fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday. It means that his chance of landing a head coaching job went up, while the Packers may need a new DC, along with a shuffle in the front office.
Hafley to Miami Makes Too Much Sense After Jon-Eric Sullivan News
Pelissero noted that Sullivan “is highly respected within the league,” and Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette added that “it’s only been a matter of time until Brian Gutekunst’s top lieutenant got a shot at running his own roster.” The Gardner-Webb graduate has spent his entire front office career with the Packers, beginning as a training camp intern in 2003 and working his way up to his current position in 2022. With that strong a connection, it wouldn’t be surprising if he tried to bring a little Green Bay flavor down to Miami.
This is where Hafley comes into play. The Packers’ defensive coordinator since leaving Boston College after the 2023 season, Hafley’s defense ranked fifth in yardage and sixth in scoring in his first season in Green Bay and was in the top ten for most of this season before Micah Parsons tore his ACL in a Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Hafley is also in high demand as the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons have requested interviews to fill their head coaching positions, per MMQB’s Albert Breer. But working with Sullivan may be the most attractive option of them all, thanks to their previous relationship over the past two seasons.
Even if the Packers make a deep run, that relationship could convince Sullivan to wait deep into January to hire Hafley, which is something other suitors may not have the patience for as other coaching vacancies begin to fill.
Sullivan’s departure isn’t official yet, as Pelissero’s keywords are that the Dolphins are “working to” hire him. But to have it get this far means the deal is close to being done. Should it become official, it seems like Hafley has an obvious destination whenever the Packers’ payoff run comes to a close.