Packers Reeling Again: Jeff Hafley Coaching Rumors Are A Huge Win For The Bears
Nobody thought much of it at the time, but the Green Bay Packers’ hiring of Jeff Hafley as their defensive coordinator in 2024 turned out to be a strong decision. He instantly helped their defense reach respectability last season, finishing 6th in points allowed and 5th in yards. It looked even better to start this season thanks to the arrival of Micah Parsons from Dallas, but injuries soon took their toll. Even so, Hafley kept the unit functional all the way into the playoffs. Sadly, he ran out of magic in the wild card round against the Chicago Bears.
Now it appears the misery of that playoff loss is about to get worse for Green Bay. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Hafley has become the favorite to take over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. It isn’t surprising since that organization hired Packers personnel director Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new GM. Barring an unexpected development, Hafley is leaving. That puts Green Bay in a difficult spot of trying to replace him in the middle of what many feel is their Super Bowl window.
Jeff Hafley exit benefits the Bears for sure.
The defensive coordinator is one of the few in the league who has presented a legitimate challenge to Ben Johnson as a play caller and schemer. He held the Bears to 14 points, 3 points, and 6 points in the first three quarters of the three matchups this season. His ability to create all sorts of looks that disrupted the timing and rhythm of plays proved frustrating for Johnson. It is a big reason why Hafley has gained so much traction as a head coaching candidate. Candidates of his caliber are rare.
Green Bay must now take on the dubious task of finding a replacement who can carry things forward. Everybody knows what a challenge that is. Replacing great coordinators is almost impossible without a good degree of luck. Chicago learned that with Vic Fangio. Detroit learned that with Johnson. Now the Packers are in danger of learning that with Jeff Hafley. If they don’t find somebody good to take over for him, beating the Bears will become even more difficult in the future.