While the Green Bay Packers have been getting ready for the Wild Card matchup against the Chicago Bears, many teams around the NFL are already shaking things up during the offseason.
Head coaches have been getting axed and that continued on Tuesday. In a shocker, the Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
With the Ravens missing the postseason, Baltimore decided it wanted to make a move. Though it creates another HC opening, this could also bode well for the Packers' chances of retaining defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Jeff Hafley’s Chances of Staying with the Packers with Harbaugh Firing
Harbaugh immediately becomes one of the best heading coaching candidates on the open market, alongside Kevin Stefanski.
Harbaugh spent 18 seasons with the Ravens, logging a 193-124 record, including the playoffs, six AFC North titles, two No. 1 seeds and four trips to the AFC Championship Game. He was a staple on that sideline and will quickly jump to top of board for teams that are looking for a head coach.
The same can be said for Stefanski, who dealt with a ton of nonsense in Cleveland but still managed to make the postseason twice and won Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2023. These guys have proven they can lead competitive playoff teams.
Their resumes are more impressive than Hafley at this point and that could be something that helps out Green Bay in the long run. The New York Giants, Ravens and Atlanta Falcons are the best openings currently, yet it wouldn't be shocker to see Stefanski and Harbaugh land two of these three gigs.
Jobs like the Tennessee Titans, Browns, or Arizona Cardinals aren't as intriguing as sticking in Green Bay for another year and waiting for a better opportunity next year. The Las Vegas Raiders would be a nice landing spot with the No. 1 overall pick and over $100 million in cap space, but they'll likely look for a veteran, Tom-Brady-approved coach to help right that ship with a likely rookie QB entering the picture.
Hafley's name has been linked to the Giants' job for months, but actually landing a head-coaching gig isn't an easy thing to do considering the many differing voices within organizations. Some will also be wary of a first-time HC like Hafley, so veterans like Mike McCarthy, Steve Spagnuolo, Robert Saleh and Matt Nagy are also strong contenders to get offers once Stefanski and Harbaugh have their pick of the litter.
Hafley's done an outstanding job with the Packers' defense for the last two seasons, and things took another jump with the addition of Micah Parsons. Yet he may have to wait another year to be a true top candidate for a head-coaching opening with an abundance of vets in the mix, which would only help Green Bay put together another playoff run.