The Green Bay Packers may lose defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley this offseason to one of the many head coaching opportunities around the league in the wake of the NFL regular season's conclusion.
Luckily, that same coaching carousel could give one back to the Pack. As A to Z Sports' Wendell Ferreira relayed, "Raheem Morris would be a great DC option" if Hafley takes a head coaching job.
The Falcons fired Morris and GM Terry Fontenot on Sunday after the Falcons missed out on the postseason with an 8-9 record. Atlanta extended its playoff drought to eight seasons, with Michael Penix Jr.'s ACL tear only underscoring how bad of an idea it was to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in 2024. Cousins struggled mightily in Zac Robinson's system. Not coincidentally, Robinson is also a flight risk.
Morris is the better fit, though. Having been there and done that with the Los Angeles Rams as Sean McVay's defensive coordinator and on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 as an assistant, Morris brings authority to a locker room that is filled with win-now players. He's been a coach since 1998 and has dealt with just about every type of personality at this point.
Schematically, the team would shift to a 3-4 under Morris. Hafley was partial to the 4-3 setup in the trenches, but Green Bay has the linebacking talent to make a switch work. Isaiah McDuffie and Quay Walker are actively making the leap, and, eventually, Micah Parsons will be back. LB is one of the team's strongest rooms.
Packers Will Have Competition for Raheem Morris
Needless to say, the Packers won't be the only franchise in the hunt for Morris. The Tennessee Titans are interviewing Morris this weekend. Perhaps McVay and Co. could be interested in a reunion, considering Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula may also find a head coaching job.
Morris would be just one of what should be several options for GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur to consider if, and when, Hafley ultimately jumps at the opportunity to take the next step in his coaching career.
Either way, things figure to be chaotic for the Packers this offseason. Hafley may not be the only member of the coaching staff, and/or front office, who could be elsewhere and need replacing for next season. This means that the rest of the decision-makers in Green Bay must be up to the task of filling those vacancies with the right pieces to keep this Packers train heading in the right direction.