The Green Bay Packers had one of their biggest moves of the offseason when special teams coach Rich Bisaccia stepped down this week. Maligned by fans over the unit’s poor performance during his tenure, Bisaccia’s departure was met with roaring approval but also brought the challenge of replacing him.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber, the Packers are expected to interview Kyle Wilber for the position. But his heavy ties to Bisaccia may indicate the Packers are already going down the wrong path in the interview process.
Wilber spent 10 years in the NFL, but played for Bisaccia with the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders before serving as a special teams assistant in Green Bay during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. With Bisaccia’s track record, going for a branch of his tree isn’t a good look and could have fans reciting the definition of insanity if the move comes to fruition.
Packers Risk Repeating Rich Bisaccia's Mistakes with Kyle Wilber Interview
The Packers’ interest in Wilber stems from his background. He played in 135 games over 10 seasons as a fourth-round draft pick by the Cowboys out of Wake Forest and was a trusted member of Bisaccia’s unit. He led the Raiders in special teams tackles in 2020 and worked for Bisaccia for two seasons in Green Bay before he left to become the special teams coach for the New Orleans Saints in 2025.
The Saints ranked last in the final 2025 Packers On SI special teams rankings designed by Huber last year. But the biggest issue with Wilber’s candidacy is that many believe there needs to be a different voice in the special team’s room. While Bisaccia’s unit reached a high-water mark with a 79.2 team special teams grade according to Pro Football Focus, it ranked toward the bottom of the league for the majority of Bisaccia’s tenure, which began in 2022.
The Packers also had several special teams meltdowns in 2025 that defined Bisaccia’s tenure. Brandon McManus struggled in his second season in Green Bay after a strong 2024 campaign, and the Packers ranked 23rd, allowing 25.2 yards per kickoff return, and last in the NFL at 5.6 yards per punt return. There were also key breakdowns, including a blocked field goal that led to a Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, a blocked extra point that led to a Week 4 tie against the Dallas Cowboys, and a muffed onside kick by Romero Doubs that effectively handed the NFC North title to the Chicago Bears in Week 16.
If you read all the comments praising Bisaccia after his resignation on Tuesday evening, it would be understandable if they wanted to maintain his presence in the building as one of the most highly regarded special teams coordinators in the NFL. But the miscues make it seem that the Packers are once again resisting change.
This has been a common theme throughout the offseason. The Packers made several changes on the defensive side of the ball, but that was necessary after former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley took six of his assistants to complete his staff with the Miami Dolphins. The offensive staff has largely remained intact, with offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich and offensive line coach Luke Butkus keeping their jobs. But their loyalty has cost them in certain situations, including former quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion’s departure to become the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator.
Even Bisaccia needed to step down before head coach Matt LaFleur decided to make a change, keeping the status quo in place after a season that ended with five straight losses after a 9-3-1 start in the first 13 games.
Wilber could wind up being a fine replacement for Bisaccia, and the Packers may just be doing homework on a coach they have previous experience with. But it may be more beneficial to go outside the organization and bring some new philosophies to Green Bay.
This includes Cameron Achord, who formerly ran a New England Patriots special teams unit that was ranked No. 1 in Rich Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings and No. 4 in the Packers' On SI’s annual special teams rankings in his first season on the job in 2020. A member of the Bill Belichick tree, Achord could bring some accountability to a group that has lacked it in recent years and inspire a turnaround.
While Huber reports that Achord is a candidate for the job, interest in Wilber suggests they want to keep things as similar as possible, even with the need for change. It’s a dangerous game for Green Bay to play with its special teams, and it could be another step back after it appeared they took a step forward earlier in the week.