Thus far, it isn't a hot take to say that the Green Bay Packers' early offseason decisions have been profoundly disappointing.
Green Bay had a 21-3 lead on the road in the Wild Card Round and watched this 18-point lead fall away in the second half. Head coach Matt LaFleur's leadership has been questioned after failing on the biggest stage, yet the Packers rewarded him (and general manager Brian Gutekunst) with a contract extension.
Not only did the Packers bring back LaFleur, but the franchise lost important leaders pivotal to past success.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Haffley departed to take the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins, with assistant coaches Ryan Downard and Wendel Davis following Haffley to Miami. This isn't where the departures stopped, with quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion hired as the new Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator and passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley leaving for a position on the Dallas Cowboys staff.
With that in mind, it's safe to say that the Packers' early offseason efforts deserve a C-.
Packers' Early Offseason Has Left Much to Be Desired
While a C- might seem a bit harsh, it is important to remember there is a long offseason ahead for Green Bay to right the ship. This grade is based on one returning player and a handful of coaching moves that have pushed the franchise in the wrong direction. Most notable is the questionable decision to extend LaFleur after Green Bay's epic playoff meltdown.
This adds up to six notable coaching changes that will shake up the locker room and structure of LaFleur's staff. While some replacements have been made already, the Packers cannot offset the proven coaching that has pushed them to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Any team losing that many coaches is bound to hurt.
Another reason the Packers' offseason has disappointed is that the team seems comfortable with Brandon McManus as their kicker again. The veteran leg missed two field goals and an extra point in Green Bay's wild-card loss to the Chicago Bears.
McManus was as pivotal as any player or coach in authoring the collapse and shouldn't be brought back for the 2026 season. Instead of cutting the kicker right after this failure, it appears the franchise is content to allow him to return, and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will be right behind him.
Losing key coaching figures and being loyal to players and coaches that helped boot the Packers out of the playoffs is not only deserving of a C-. There's still time for Green Bay to improve this grade, with free agency and the 2026 NFL draft offering potential solutions.
Conversely, that also means there's time to stumble to an even lower mark.
Hopefully, the Packers have some big moves planned that will help launch them back into the Super Bowl mix. Otherwise, they might be staring at another early offseason one year from now.