The Green Bay Packers are undergoing a massive overhaul on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Jeff Hafley’s departure to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins has necessitated change for a coaching staff that usually tries to avoid it, and it has resulted in Jonathan Gannon taking over ahead of the 2026 season.
The change between Gannon and Hafley isn’t a seismic one, as both preferred to use heavy zone coverage. But Gannon leans on it a little bit more, playing quarters at a high rate to minimize big plays downfield.
The scheme makes sense as Green Bay played the seventh-highest zone rate in the NFL at 78.2% and ranked eighth with 5.6 net yards per pass attempt last season. But it will also require more from defenders in coverage, which could be bad news for linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.
Packers’ Isaiah McDuffie on Notice as Jonathan Gannon Arrives in Green Bay
A quick view of McDuffie’s 2026 outlook may breed some optimism. Quay Walker is a candidate to leave in free agency, and McDuffie has been a solid backup over the past four seasons. Last year, McDuffie continued his improved play behind Walker, logging 92 total tackles with three tackles for loss, a sack, and his first career interception. But it also continued a trend of poor performance in coverage.
According to Pro Football Focus, coverage has been a nagging issue during McDuffie’s career. While he has been solid in the running game with 89 run stops and a 7.9% missed tackle rate, he’s found himself in a blender when asked to defend the pass with a career 112.8 passer rating when targeted. The struggles reached their peak in 2024 when McDuffie allowed 54 catches for 566 yards and five touchdowns on 64 targets, and the five scores were tied for the second-most among linebackers behind Kenneth Murray Jr.'s six touchdowns allowed.
These numbers get even worse when McDuffie is in zone coverage. McDuffie played 73.0% of his coverage snaps in zone last season, but he allowed 16 catches for 157 yards, a touchdown, and a pass breakup for a 103.0 passer rating on 23 targets. While those numbers aren’t terrible, with 0.90 yards per coverage snap, they were much worse in 2024 when he allowed 40 catches for 439 yards and a touchdown with two pass breakups and a 114.7 passer rating on 45 targets.
According to Over The Cap, McDuffie is under contract for 2026 with a cheap cap number of $4.9 million, and it’s likely he’ll still be on the team. But Gannon could be looking for an upgrade next to Edgerrin Cooper, which could lead to an increased role for Ty’Ron Hopper.
Hopper hasn’t seen much playing time and will need to improve his tackling, which carried a 16.9% missed tackle rate during his collegiate career and 15.4% rate last season. But he has shown coverage chops before allowing an 88.6 passer rating on 89 targets in college between Florida and Missouri.
If Hopper shows some improvement in his third year, McDuffie should be watching his back during the 2026 season. Even if it’s not Hopper, the Packers could look to add a better coverage linebacker in the draft, which could be the precursor to McDuffie's exit in 2026 if he doesn’t turn his struggles around.