Following another early playoff exit, is it time for the Green Bay Packers to fire coach Matt LaFleur?
As they entered the 2025 NFL Playoffs, the bar was low for the Green Bay Packers. With Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt and Tucker Kraft hurt among others, Green Bay looked completely dead. Against the Bears though, the Packers looked like the better team for virtually all of both games before a calamity of errors cost them the win, and ultimately the division, in Chicago.
As the Packers vs Bears Wild Card game went along, the Packers showed their might and that they were just flat out better than the Chicago Bears. With an 18-point lead and a chance to make it 21 at half, few Bears fans thought they still had a chance. Then, as only Matt LaFleur-led teams can do, the Packers immediately wet the bed and panicked. A missed field goal was all it took for momentum to shift and the Bears to come roaring back. If the Packers can take one thing from this loss, it’s that Matt LaFleur has no business being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Is it Time For Packers to Fire Matt LaFleur?
Matt LaFleur Continues to Underachieve
The issue with the loss to the Bears was that the game should’ve been over before the third quarter even started. The Bears’ defense looked as bad as it is and with big injuries to multiple players, there was no way the Packers could be stopped until they stopped themselves. As he was interviewed by the start of the second half, LaFleur stated they needed to step on their necks and finish the job. Instead, LaFleur did what he always does with a lead and curled into a ball and called an offense so conservative even Charlie Kirk would’ve cringed.
Since Matt LaFleur has taken over, the Packers have done nothing but underachieve. Fans of LaFleur will point to his three straight NFC North titles but fail to mention his inability to do anything in the NFL Playoffs. If you’re curious to know if LaFleur has always been this soft in big-time games, look no further than their NFC Championship game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. With a big call late in the game, LaFleur trusted his porous defense more than Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and went for a field goal instead of going for the tie. That decision was a bad omen for his future in Green Bay, and more importantly, it killed the Packers’ chances of going to the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for Packers fans, it has only gotten worse since then. Aaron Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, and Jordan Love has shined at times in Green Bay too. So, why does LaFleur only have a 37-30-1 record in the regular season and a 1-3 playoff record over the last four seasons? The Packers’ brand demands greatness and is only satisfied with championships. So why are we all of a sudden okay with one-and-done playoff exits?
Packers Playoff Woes Are a Trend
To Matt LaFleur’s credit, the Packers did look good in their 2023 NFC Wild Card win over the Dallas Cowboys. Wouldn’t you know it, though, after jumping out to a 27-0 lead, the Packers were outscored 32-21 the rest of the way, not to mention the Dallas Cowboys team had plenty of issues of their own. Immediately after the win, they traveled to Santa Clara and (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) lost due to special teams errors and blew a fourth-quarter lead. The next year against Philadelphia, they embarrassed themselves and Packers fans with a 22-10 loss in one of the ugliest games in recent playoff history.
This year, they outdid themselves, blowing an 18-point second-half lead to a Chicago Bears team that couldn’t give the Packers more chances to win if they tried. At this point, it is clear that neither LaFleur nor the Packers are improving in any aspect that LaFleur controls and haven’t been for quite some time, which puts them in the same boat as the Baltimore Ravens, who just fired their coach. If that is any indication, it’s time for LaFleur to pack his bags.
Titletown Deserves Better Than Matt LaFleur
If you ask anyone off the street in a foreign country to name an NFL team, the Green Bay Packers are going to be one of the first teams mentioned almost every time. The brand is synonymous with success, class and being the best of the best. If your town is nicknamed “Titletown,” it’s kind of a given. So, could someone please explain why that brand should employ someone who shows no growth or ability when everything is on the line?
The Green Bay Packers have said they’re “all in” every single year for some time now. That means it’s Super Bowl or bust. Not only have they lost to either poor coaching or not learning from past mistakes, but the farthest LaFleur has gotten this team is 60 minutes away from a Super Bowl appearance. With plenty of head coaches available that would take the Packers to the next level, or at least give them a chance, it’s now or never to cut ties with LaFleur.
If the Packers don’t fire Matt LaFleur, they’ll just run it back in all likelihood. We all know how well that worked in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. Certainly, that’s just bad luck and not possibly a trend the franchise should buck as soon as possible. Since losing in the NFC Championship game to end their 2019 NFL season, the Packers have only moved backwards. They never make fixes or improvements, and it’s clear LaFleur will never change his own ways. As a result, the Packers have a choice to make, but one that should be incredibly simple: Fire Matt LaFleur or embrace the mediocrity that comes with him.
