The Green Bay Packers had a disappointing 2025 season. There’s no argument otherwise. Trading for Micah Parsons sent a signal to the league that the Packers believed they were ready for the next step. Instead what we got was repeat of 2024. A stumble to the finish line before an ignominious loss in the first round of the playoffs. Unlike the ’24 loss to the Eagles, the loss to the Bears was a far more painful experience.
There are plenty of reasons or excuses why the season ended the way it did. Some of them I agree with. Losing Parsons and Kraft were blows the team just couldn’t bounce back from. Combined with the degradation of the offensive line, all the warning signs were there.
That leads us to now. Free agency is just around the corner, with the draft to follow. While the team doesn’t have a first round pick, this front office seems to land more hits in the day 2-3 range anyway. There are no more excuses for this front office or this coaching staff. In the spirit of that, here’s who is under the most pressure in 2026.
Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur
Don’t let the extension fool you. While I do think that extending the coach was the right decision, I do not think it makes his job markedly more secure. I addressed this in an earlier piece, but I did not see a better option that LaFleur for this upcoming season given where this roster is at. That being said, two things have to be kept in mind when considering the pressure LaFleur is under this year.
First is the aforementioned end to last season. Ending on five game losing streak is just bad. Now, you could point to not having Jordan Love in two of those games. The Vikings game to end the season featured Clayton Tune, so that can be ignored pretty easily. Unfortunately the other three losses were all different flavors of awful. The first of two collapses against the Bears, the injury bomb against the Broncos, and then finally just getting absolutely pounded by a mediocre Ravens squad.
If that wasn’t bad enough of a look, then came the report cards. For those that don’t know, the NFLPA for the last several years have created report cards based on feedback from players. One of the notable things from the Packers card was a full letter grade drop on LaFleur. While its important to note that the drop was essentially an A to a B, combining that with the end of the season is a signal that LaFleur is on shaky ground. If the Packers go into the 2027 offseason without a minimum of one playoff win I expect a new coach will be taking over for next season.
The Rest of The Coaching Staff
While this obviously goes hand in hand with the head coach, new coaches Jonathan Gannon and Cameron Achord are going to be under immense pressure immediately.
In Gannon’s case he’s replacing a guy that had become very well like by Packers fans in just a short amount of time. Hafley was able to get in fans good graces by simply fielding a competent defense, Gannon on the other hand will have more expected of him. If he doesn’t have the defense performing at a high level once Micah Parsons returns, don’t be surprised to see the fanbase turn on him quickly, especially when it seems like he wasn’t many peoples first choice.
Achord is coming into a reversal of that situation, replacing a coach that the fans had turned on two seasons ago. Like Gannon however, he’s going to be expected to show immediate improvement on a unit that has been the bane of this teams existence for years now. Special Teams has been so bad for so long now that you shouldn’t be surprised to see #FireAchord the second the unit makes an error.
The Packers Front Office
Like LaFleur, GM Brian Gutekunst and Director of Football operations Russ Ball also received extensions. And like LaFleur I don’t know how safe their jobs are either if things go sideways. Gutekunst more than Ball feels like he needs a strong offseason and next season to be secure.
While it’s only been a season, Gutekunst’s free agency signings from last year seem to be a bust, and the Packers got very little out of their 2025 draft class. Injuries can be pointed to for the free agents, and a strong roster kept most of the rookies on the sidelines, but regardless it’s not a good look for the GM. This roster is very good, but it still has real needs. Gutekunst is going to have to balance the needs of the present vs the future when making free agency decisions this year.
If the Packers go out and spend real money in free agency, potentially at the cost of future comp picks, that’s a sign that he knows his leash is short. If the Packers operate as usual then maybe he has more job security than it would seem.
Final Thoughts
We’ll discuss the player side of this after free agency and the draft have ended, but this is the biggest offseason the Packers have faced since they made the decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers.
While Green Bay’s unique ownership situation tends to lead the franchise to be more patient than most, another one and done in the playoffs will have consequences. Avoiding those starts with making smart moves in free agency. With that just a week away, the Packers will definitely be a team to watch.
