Richard from Caledonia, WI
Great article about Kraft. Love him and his positive attitude and candid approach. His comments and other players‘ about Coach LaFleur resonate a positive view for at least allowing him to complete his current contract. Still have reservations about a longer extension given the five-game end-of-season stretch! Your insights? Injuries certainly a factor but lots to clean up, too!?
Sure, but this team’s captains and returning veterans are confident in their ability to do it. Like Kraft said, the team lost many of the weapons the offense and defense were built around. That’s fine if you don’t believe that to be the case, but Kraft, Parsons, Devonte Wyatt and so many others get another swing at proving doubters wrong next season.
Eric from Wrightstown, WI
Nothing like an intense rivalry between roughly equal teams. That said, Ben Johnson seems to want to take Packers/Bears back to the Gregg/Ditka days. I just hope if does not escalate to the Kenny Stills/Matt Suhey level!
Rivalry, rivalry, rivalry. Everyone wants to talk about the rivalry. It’s always been a rivalry. It ain’t the Packers’ fault the Bears were in hibernation for the better part of 30 years. I mean, nothing like returning to the party with a boombox on your shoulder to remind everyone that you’re back. Sure, fine, whatever. Congrats.
Thank you, Insiders, for helping me recover from Saturday night. For a couple days I was quite open to replacing ML after yet another collapse. Then I was scared spitless when I read a clickbait that a just-fired Harbough would be a perfect fit in Green Bay. Now I realize I am a Packers fan for its culture of integrity, not just the titles that it produces. Consistency at HC, I believe, will pay off just as well as stability at QB.
This whole ordeal has been the perfect example of our mantra that “Nothing is official until it’s official.” The Packers are in a strong position right now with a talent-rich roster. If LaFleur is back, organizational stability remains in place. If it doesn’t work out, the Packers’ job becomes the top head-coaching position on the market and LaFleur is probably the top coach available. We can talk through all the hypotheticals, but a domino must fall for any real conversations to begin regarding next season.
Thomas from Cedar Rapids, IA
I would like to make a request to the schedule-makers: I want the Packers to play the Bears in Week 1. And believe it or not, I would kind of like it to be in Chicago. Parsons won’t be back yet, but it still can’t get here soon enough. I hope the team has the same mindset.
I could see that. I also could see the NFL scheduling Packers and Bears for the regular-season finale, too. Neither of those teams is going anywhere and clearly Ben Johnson doesn’t mind walking around with a gasoline can in one hand and lit match in the other.
Good morning, my question has to do with how you think Matt LaFleur will handle the post-game handshake with Ben Johnson next year. I’d hope that he responds the same as he was treated this year.
I’m sure LaFleur will conduct himself like he did the previous three times…you know, like an adult.
Well, the reasons for not extending Matt LaFleur’s contract are numerous. My question is what are the reasons for retaining LaFleur? A contract extension should be a reward for positive results. Over the last four years, those positive results have been few and far between.
The Packers made the playoffs three straight years with the NFL’s youngest team. Is that not successful enough for you? You might enjoy being a fan of the Steelers (no playoff wins since 2016) or Bengals (a pair of gut-wrenching 23-20 losses in Super Bowl LVI and 2022 AFC title game after 20-plus years of no playoff wins since 1990). I don’t disagree the Packers having had their share of bitter defeats since Super Bowl XLV, but you’re using personal disappointment as a gauge of overall success. That’s the wrong tool.
Will Sean McVay or Robert Saleh make a call to Matt LaFleur this week regarding their matchup against the Bears?
They’d be foolish not to, right?
Benefits to marrying my NY-born wife: I automatically have a backup team to root for, and to Spoff’s point, Josh Allen/Buffalo is easy to root for anyway, and their fans are among the best in the NFL. Our CB room/depth, especially Nate Hobbs, was underwhelming (maybe acquire a Calvin to help him?). Even though Trevon Diggs can be released with little to no financial hit, what are the chances his contract is reworked to stay here?
There is no financial hit for Green Bay past the 2025 season. The rest of Diggs’ contract is tied to base salary and gameday bonuses. The Packers will have to either tweak his pre-existing deal to keep Diggs or let him go before the start of the new league year in March.