It would be unfair and inaccurate to say that Matt LaFleur isn't a good coach. Now, there's a difference between being a good coach and a good head coach, especially when talking about a historied franchise like the Green Bay Packers.
Once again, LaFleur's woes came back to haunt this team when it mattered the most. The Packers were up 21-3 and in complete control over the Chicago Bears on Saturday night, only to watch the head coach go away from everything that worked in the second half.
Before, it'd be hard to imagine the 2026 Packers without LaFleur at the helm. Now, it looks like his fatal flaw may have just cost him a chance to return.
Matt LaFleur's Game-Management Issues Should Seal His Fate in Green Bay
The Packers had to deal with a plethora of injuries this season, so no one would've been shocked to watch them lose on the road to a good Chicago Bears team. However, there are ways to lose, and this one was simply unacceptable, especially as it thrusts Green Bay into an uncertain offseason.
One can talk about some unlucky breaks, such as the blocked punt in 2021, and kicker Brandon McManus also deserves plenty of blame for costing the team seven points in a four-point loss. Then again, it's not about this year, and you cannot evaluate a head coach in a vacuum. This is a trend, and it doesn't just happen in the playoffs; it happens in almost every big game.
The Packers led by 10 in Cleveland, by 13 in Dallas, by nine in Denver, by 10 in Chicago, and by 18 in their playoff loss, only to lose all of those games but one — the other was a tie. LaFleur is an excellent play designer and is great at scheming his guys open, but his game management often leads to his (and Green Bay's) downfall.
Once again, bad timeouts, an overly-conservative second-half game plan, and poor clock management doomed a Packers team that wasn't just winning the game; they were dominating. They were the better team on both sides of the field, and the Bears never should've had a chance to make a comeback.
It all started when they were up 21-3 at midfield and still decided to punt on 4th-and-2. LaFleur would've probably gone for it if the game was tied, but chose to give the ball back to the Bears because he was up by multiple scores.
Nobody's perfect, and expecting that from a head coach wouldn't be realistic. The real issue here is that he has been either unwilling or unable to adapt, adjust, and learn from his mistakes. LaFleur has been with the team long enough for fans to have a big sample size, and it's the same thing with him over and over, regardless of the quarterback, the context, or the opposition.
Matt LaFleur should definitely have a job in the league, even as early as next season. But it takes much more to be the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, and he might be better off being someone else's offensive coordinator.