Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has had his work cut out for him, replacing a staff that has faced major turnover. Defensively, it has been drastic with defensive coordinator Jeff Haffley landing the Miami Dolphins head coaching position and setting the stage for several key coaching pieces to depart. This appeared to include Packers D-line coach DeMarcus Covington, who was given multiple interviews as a potential coordinator option.
However, as Derailed podcast host J.J. Lahey noted, it seems that Covington will be the lone notable defensive coach to return after the Las Vegas Raiders went in a different direction. Rob Leonard has won the role and left Green Bay with at least one familiar face it can expect to retain for the 2026 season.
It is a bit of relief to retain Covington, considering that not only Haffley but Sean Duggan, Ryan Downard, Derrick Ansley, Wendel Davis, and Vince Oghobaase all previously departed. Even with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon being an experienced head coach, this is a major overhaul that could spark concern from the Packer fanbase.
Packers Appear to Retain DeMarcus Covington Despite Consistent Offseason Interest
Losing so many pieces leaves uncertainty about the current standing of the defense. As impressive as the unit was under Haffley's leadership, you are not only dealing with free agency changes, but massive coaching changes. Retaining Covington at least gives the appearance of steadying the ship a bit amid such overturn.
For the Packers, there has to be hope that Gannon and LaFleur make the right replacement decisions and that a fresh start will prove to be what was needed. Green Bay is coming off a frustrating playoff defeat where the franchise blew a 21-3 lead to a division rival.
This type of blown lead demanded coaching changes, even if the defense wasn't the main culprit behind the collapse. For Covington, it is a great chance to step in and continue building momentum from last season. Another solid season from the Green Bay defense, and his resume will be far too compelling to ignore as a potential defensive coordinator hire.
Already garnering so many interviews shows that he is well on his way to leaving Green Bay after a standout season. It is the frustrating reality of building a great coaching staff and something LaFleur will continue to face if he makes the right decisions.
Green Bay's defensive staff getting so many promotions in the same offseason, however, is a bit of an outlier and points to just how exciting the unit was throughout the 2025 season.