The most important question in Green Bay right now is whether the Packers will bring back head coach Matt LaFleur, who enters the new season in new president and CEO Ed Policy’s first year with the team without an extension.
Both Policy and LaFleur reportedly want LaFleur back with the team in 2026, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport both claiming LaFleur did not coach against the Chicago Bears. That being said, LaFleur still doesn’t have a trade in hand, and his team finished this year’s Super Bowl with an 0-5 record entering 2025, with only the trade of defensive end Micah Parsons providing a shot in the arm.
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The game against the Bears looked as brutal as any, with the Packers holding Chicago to 25 points in the fourth quarter, slowly losing the lead they had built early in the game while their offense stalled.
So, given the current situation, the media asked LaFleur about his contract situation. Here is the exchange.
reporter: You have one year left on your contract, and [president/CEO Ed] Policy says he doesn’t like lame duck season. Do you expect to return next season? Have you started negotiating the deal?
Lafleur: Pete, with all due respect, now is not the time to ask this question. I mean, I just feel pain for these people. I could only think about what had just happened. There will be time.
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Many coaches, including some who were later fired within hours, used the opportunity to say things like “I’ll be back in 2026” and then make their case. Instead, LaFleur just said those conversations would be left for another time.
