The Green Bay Packers' decision to retain special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia was met with skepticism and criticism. Once again, special teams set the team back multiple times last season, and even Super Bowl-contending teams like the Los Angeles Rams didn't hesitate to pull the plug on their coordinators midway through the season.
Bisaccia is one of head coach Matt LaFleur's confidants, and he repeatedly doubled down on his trust in him. That seemed to be a mistake, but judging by the latest turn of events, it may have actually been the right call.
Now, Bisaccia will have to get by without his primary assistant in town. As reported by NFL insider Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the Cleveland Browns will hire Byron Storer to be their next special teams coordinator.
Packers Played it Safe by Keeping Rich Bisaccia
This may not have come as a surprise to the Packers. If they knew other teams were keeping tabs on Storer, they knew they would've been left scrambling for a replacement if they also parted ways with Bisaccia. As the most obvious candidate to be his successor, they may not have felt comfortable giving him the keys to that unit.
While offensive and defensive coordinators usually get more recognition and most people know what they can get from them, special teams coordinators have historically been very 'hit or miss.' Additionally, LaFleur is often hesitant to make changes to his coaching staff.
Of course, that's not to say that Bisaccia should rest assured that he's never going to lose his job, even if it looks like that's the case. He needs to be held accountable, and that should be the case next season, now that special teams have been such a constant talking point when discussing this team's chances.
The Packers talked about how injuries derailed their once-promising season, and that's fair to a degree. Then again, that cannot be a yearly excuse to avoid making changes, and there should be no more margin for error for guys like Bisaccia.
Storer was Bisaccia's right hand when he was with the Las Vegas Raiders and now in Green Bay. He's no longer with the team, so there won't be any other scapegoats. Sports Illustrated ranked the Packers as the 20th special teams unit last season, and failing to take that unit to the top 10 in 2026 should get Bisaccia fired once and for all.