The Green Bay Packers have extended both head coach Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst. In starting the week off with a bang, the Packers have locked up two important pieces to their recent success.
Details have not been made public as to the length or financials of these deals. Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy did say however, that he was “confident” they would both be with the club for years to come. Indeed they will be.
Since taking over as the Green Bay Packers head coach in 2019, LaFleur has been nothing short of incredible. He amassed a regular season record of 37-10. He has won at least 13 regular season games in each of his first three seasons at the helm and revitalized this Packers offense.
His 39 regular season wins are the most of any NFL head coach through their first three seasons in the league. To put it frankly, the Green Bay Packers have been an elite NFL team under Matt LaFleur.
Perhaps the biggest feather in the cap of Matt LaFleur has been the career revitalization of Hall of Fame QB, Aaron Rodgers. Since LaFleur has taken over in Green Bay, Rodgers has thrown for at least 4000 yards in each season, logged 111 TD passes to just 13 INTs, and won back to back NFL MVP awards. This was all immediately coming off an incredibly disappointing 2018 season that saw the Packers struggle to a 6-9-1 record.
As successful as Matt LaFleur has been on the sidelines, credit should also go to the architect to put the roster together that LaFleur works with. Brian Gutekunst took over as Green Bay Packers GM on January 8, 2018, and oversaw the franchise turnaround since.
His 2019 Free Agency class immediately became one of the most impactful in the NFL. The signings of Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos, and Billy Turner were all massive contributors, as all four started every game that season. Za’Darius smith was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl and received second team All-Pro honors in 2020. For a franchise that hadn’t made big splashes on the FA market in some time, this was a huge deal.
From a drafting perspective, “Gute” has overseen some tremendous Packers draft classes. His first pick as Packers GM, Jaire Alexander, has quickly turned into a top cornerback in the NFL. The Packers recently retained Alexander with a four year, $84M contract extension to keep him in the Green and Gold.
Overall as Packers General Manager, Brian Gutekunst has drafted or signed six players who went on to earn AP All-Pro honors, be named to the Pro Bowl, or be selected as Pro Bowl alternates.
Success starts at the top. Both Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst have proved to be elite talent evaluators and winners. The Green Bay Packers are in a great spot moving forward with these two, and Mark Murphy should be touted for keeping them here.
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Zach has been a lifelong Packers fan since his earliest memories of Brett Favre\\\'s Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXII. A proud shareholder of the team, he bleeds Green and Gold despite being born and raised in New Jersey. You can follow him on twitter at @RapMasterZach.
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