Matt LaFleur, Packers face uncertain future after blowing big lead in wild-card loss to Bears
The tough finish could lead to major changes for Green Bay.
LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst each have one year remaining on their contracts. Ed Policy, who took over as Green Bay’s president and CEO last summer, has said he’s “generally opposed” to the idea of having a coach or GM enter the final year of a contract without an extension.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday morning that the Packers planned to engage LaFleur in contract discussions shortly after the season ends, with the mutual goal of extending his contract. Rapoport added that LaFleur was not “coaching for his job” against Chicago.
LaFleur, 46, declined to get into the specifics of his situation after the loss, but he said being Green Bay’s coach “means everything” to him. He also got a vote of confidence from his quarterback.
“I definitely think Matt should be the head coach,” Love said. “I’ve got a lot of love for Matt, and I think he does a good job.”
Love threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half. The Packers had a 21-3 lead when McManus missed a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.
Love’s 23-yard TD pass to Matthew Golden made it 27-16 with 6:36 left, but McManus was wide left on the extra-point attempt. His missed 44-yard try would have provided a 30-24 lead in the final minutes.
“It’s disappointing,” McManus said. “My role on the team is to make kicks and these guys pour in thousands of plays over the course of the season and I leave seven points on the board today. Like I said, it’s the most disappointing part of my career right now.”
A delay-of-game flag coming out of a Green Bay timeout played a role in the drive stalling ahead of McManus’ final kick of the night. LaFleur called the penalty “inexcusable.”
The Packers drove to the Bears 23 on their final possession, but offensive lineman Rasheed Walker was called for a false start before Love threw two incomplete passes. The timing on the final play was thrown off when Love dropped the snap.
“We had a play called to be able to take a shot to the end zone,” Love said. “And then, depending on the coverage they were playing, how soft they were, trying to pick up an easy couple yards to the sidelines, that’s what we went to. When I fumbled the snap, couldn’t get that, it kind of turned into last-second Hail Mary.”
