{"id":663033,"date":"2026-01-08T05:42:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T05:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/663033\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T05:42:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T05:42:14","slug":"for-packers-defensive-coordinator-jeff-hafley-nfl-head-coaching-opportunities-can-wait-we-are-not-going-to-be-done-so-i-will-see-you-guys-next-week-top-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/663033\/","title":{"rendered":"For Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, NFL head-coaching opportunities can wait: \u2018We are not going to be done, so I will see you guys next week\u2019 | Top Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREEN BAY \u2014 With the NFL coaching carousel in full swing, Jeff Hafley surely knew there was a chance he\u2019d get a question about his own head-coaching aspirations during his regular weekly Q&A session with reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

And while the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator did acknowledge hearing the chatter about his candidacy and his desire to be a head coach again someday \u2014 as well as expressed his gratitude for his time in Titletown \u2014 Hafley turned the conversation on its head by, well, basically predicting a Packers victory over the Chicago Bears in Saturday night\u2019s NFC wild card playoff matchup between the division rivals at Soldier Field.<\/p>\n

This guy. pic.twitter.com\/zAn3KvcOUy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) January 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI love this group. I love being part of the Green Bay Packers. And I never take that for granted every day when I drive in and I get to see Lambeau Field. Honestly,\u201d Hafley said as the Packers (9-7-1) continued their preparations for the Bears (11-6). \u201cI\u2019m a guy who started coaching Division III football and worked my way up to be a college head coach, and now I\u2019m part of the greatest NFL organization that there is, getting to call the [defensive] plays. So that is so humbling to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love these guys and I love the staff and I love working for Matt [LaFleur], and I never take that for granted, not one second. Which is why when I answer that question [about head-coaching openings], I don\u2019t think it\u2019d be fair to anybody [who\u2019s] a part of this, for me not to give everything I have for this game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould one day I like to be a head coach again? Absolutely. For sure. But I just am so grateful and so happy to be here and be part of this, and I\u2019ve just loved coming to work every single day here. \u2026 Everything that I have been a part of here from \u2018Gutey\u2019 (general manager Brian Gutekunst), to [team president] Ed [Policy[, to Matt, it\u2019s just been like what a blessing to be here for me and my family. So I appreciate that.<\/p>\n

\u201c[But] we are not going to be done, so I will see you guys next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Translation? The Packers\u2019 weekly interview sessions with reporters only happen during game weeks, so they\u2019d have to beat the Bears for there to be another such gathering next week.<\/p>\n

Right now, there are seven head-coaching jobs open league-wide: The Baltimore Ravens, the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, the Atlanta Falcons, the Arizona Cardinals, the Tennessee Titans, and the Las Vegas Raiders.<\/p>\n

Among the candidates for those jobs are ex-Ravens coach John Harbaugh, and ex-Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who is set to interview with the Giants and Titans next week.<\/p>\n

There are also a host of up-and-coming assistant coaches who are on teams\u2019 radar, including Hafley, who was reported to be among the Giants\u2019 top candidates<\/a> when they fired Brian Daboll at midseason.<\/p>\n

And LaFleur, for one, seems to understand that he\u2019s likely to lose his defensive mastermind sooner or later.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s a stud. He’s a stud. I can’t say enough great things about him,\u201d LaFleur said when asked about Hafley\u2019s potential head-coaching opportunities in November. \u201cWe’re fortunate to have him. He’s a great mind, [but] he’s a great person first and foremost, which is absolutely paramount if you want to be here.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s super consistent in what he does. He holds a high standard, and he’s\u00a0a great football mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hafley will have to use his football IQ to beat the Bears, who had trouble consistently moving the ball in the teams\u2019 two regular-season meetings this year \u2014 a 28-21 Packers victory at Lambeau Field on Dec. 7, and a 22-16 Bears overtime win at Soldier Field on Dec. 20.<\/p>\n

Which is why, Hafley insisted, his focus is on beating the Bears, not his next job opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cHearing my name out there it\u2019s obviously extremely flattering,\u201d said Hafley, who interviewed for the New York Jets head-coaching job last offseason and came to the Packers in January 2024 after four seasons as Boston College’s head coach. \u201c[But] right now with all that stuff, it can be a distraction, so I\u2019m trying to lock in on these playoffs and do the best that we can and then whenever that time comes, we\u2019ll figure it out and go from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor right now, this is the Bears. This is one of the biggest rivalries in all of football, one that I have watched for a very long time. [The game] did not end the way we wanted to the last time we played there, so I\u2019m going to do everything in my power to focus on every minute that I have to give this organization and our players everything I got to go win this game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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