Matt

LaFleur

Saleh was spotted on the sidelines of Green Bay’s practice on Wednesday, prompting reporters to ask LaFLeur about the situation. He didn’t mention an official title for the former head coach of the New York Jets. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Saleh will help LaFleur on the offensive side of the ball by offering a defensive perspective. Saleh, in LaFleur’s own words, deserves some credit for LaFleur making it in the NFL. Saleh convinced Texans head coach Gary Kubiak to hire LaFleur all the way back in 2008. Per LaFleur, Saleh will be with the Packers through Thursday, so this may be a brief consulting gig. The former Jets boss may be able to land a defensive coordinator gig in the offseason if his stint in Green Bay goes off without a hitch.

It’s not the first time LaFleur has considered giving up play calling after the season. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky said LaFleur, whose Packers missed the playoffs, wants “to be more involved in other areas of the team -- such as the inconsistent defense and the lack of discipline that showed up at times during this year’s 8-9 season.” “If we feel like that is the best way for us to win games, then I would 100% hand that over,” LaFleur said the day after Green Bay lost to the Lions on Sunday Night Football, ending their playoff push. The Packers could bring back former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett in some capacity this offseason. Hackett served as offensive coordinator before landing the Denver job.

Russ Ball, the team’s executive vice president and director of football, was also extended. Deals for executives and coaches aren’t subject to cap implications, so they don’t receive the same coverage as player contracts. With Arizona’s Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury getting extended through 2027 earlier this year, we can expect something similar for the Packers’ brass. LaFleur joined the team three years ago and has never won fewer than 13 games. The Packers have made the NFC Championship twice since he arrived. Directly from Demovsky, “It would be bigger news if the Packers didn’t extend them this offseason.”

The Titans won the AFC’s No. 1 seed despite playing with an NFL-record 91 different players on the active roster throughout the season. Weathering the loss of Derrick Henry for most of the season as well as watching Julio Jones and A.J. Brown spend time on IR, the Titans managed to go undefeated against the cream of the NFL’s crop, besting the Bills, Chiefs, Rams, and 49ers in the regular season. Vrabel rightfully got an extension after the season. Packers HC Matt LaFleur finished second with eight votes, and Raiders interim HC Rich Bisaccia (3), Bengals HC Zac Taylor (2), and Patriots HC Bill Belichick (1) also received votes.

LaFleur added, “it’s not going to be an easy decision.” It sounds like he is already planning for Hackett to be gone. Hackett has been the offensive coordinator in Green Bay for three seasons. The past two have seen Aaron Rodgers return to his MVP heights. That has gained Hackett a lot of buzz and plenty of interviews for various head-coaching openings. Passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy would be the favorite to replace Hackett if he does move on in the offseason.

The Packers will conduct all virtual meetings this week ahead of their Thursday bout with the Cardinals. Because they are on a short turnaround, any player or coach who tests positive for may be at risk of missing Green Bay’s Week 8 game. Green Bay survived a minor COVID scare that sidelined a handful of players last year but the team controlled the spread with similar protocols and didn’t seem to miss a beat. The Packers should get by without in-person meetings again this week. Positive tests are the greater threat and will be monitored leading up to their match with Arizona.

LaFleur, asked about Rodgers’ future with the Packers, said, “Is that a trick question? Absolutely. There’s no doubt about it. You’re talking about the guy who’s going to win the MVP of the league. We’re not in this position without him.” That sounds like a definitive commitment to the 37-year-old quarterback after he waxed poetic about an uncertain future following Green Bay’s loss to Tampa in the NFC Championship Game. The Rams were reportedly shot down last week when they made a run at acquiring Rodgers, with the Packers saying in no uncertain terms that Rodgers was not on the trading block. He’ll be back under center for Green Bay in 2021, ideally not horrified by how the team uses their first round draft pick.

The Packers already have A.J. Dillon, Jamaal Williams, and LB Kamal Martin on the COVID list. The hope is the latest player to test positive didn’t pass it to anyone on Thursday night. Coming off a short week, the Packers have a few extra days to get ready for Week 10.

The Packers will be without A.J. Dillon, Jamaal Williams, and LB Kamal Martin due to COVID-19 protocols. They haven’t had any further positive tests and are expected to play this week. With Aaron Jones (calf) looking on the wrong side of questionable, Dexter Williams and Tyler Ervin could lead Green Bay’s Week 9 backfield.

This is the day’s second bit of concerning COVID news after the Cardinals reported two positive COVID-19 tests Monday morning. Missing in-person practice could be dicey this week for the Packers, who have a Thursday night date with the 49ers.