USA TODAY Sports
Mike Pettine’s contract expired and the Packers decided not to renew it.
Now head coach Matt LaFleur is looking for a new defensive coordinator, who says Green Bay should be more consistent on the unit.
But at his end-of-season press conference on Monday, LaFleur gave Pettine credit for his contributions since taking over as head coach in 2019.
“Just very grateful for what Mike has brought us,” said LaFleur. It was clear he was a man I really leaned on. And every time you make such a decision, it is never easy. It weighs heavily on your heart. Like I said, very grateful for everything he brought. If we went to two consecutive NFC Championship games, we couldn’t have done it without Mike Pettine. And I just felt like it was one of those deals where, again, it’s always a tough decision, but just needed some new leadership on that side of the ball. So that is exactly the direction we have decided to go. “
LaFleur reportedly interviews Chargers’s passing game coordinator Joe Barry, Washington defensive backs coach Chris Harris and Ram’s safeties coach Ejiro Evero. Barry, Evero and LaFleur were all on the same Rams staff in 2017. Barry just left the Rams to take the Chargers job in January.