His departure has firmly entrenched Jordan Love as the Packers star quarterback Head coach Matt LaFleur is all in on his new lead guy The Green Bay Packers have begun the process of moving on. And until he started getting all that positive deal about what a hot coach he was, now hes finally letting somebody else cut his hair. LaFleur has confirmed this bombshell. More than 48,000 people died by suicide in the US in 2021 . Packers' Matt LaFleur Mocks Vikings Tradition Ahead of Opener - Heavy.com Our football philosophies kind of developed together.. I hadnt really ever hit it, so I had no reference point to be able to throw that with confidence, Rodgers said. For others, they are growth experiences. And when the Packers lost to the Chiefs 13-7 in November with Rodgers absent because of COVID-19 protocols, LaFleur took the blame again. I didnt really take advantage of that, he said. I didnt spend time watching tape with [my dad] or anything like that. Lafleur started a text conversation with Rodgers during his telecast and nearly responded by Facetiming him on live television. That scheme, which is heavy on play-action, zone runs, and motion, has made winners out of less-talented passers like Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo. Which may explain, in part, why three days after the wedding, Rodgers informed LaFleur Matty, he calls him that the vows between the Packers and their passer would be renewed. A new seasonand the Wisconsin coldis coming. In LaFleurs second season, the Packers were trailing the Bucs 31-23 in the NFC Championship Game with 2:09 remaining when LaFleur called for a 26-yard field goal attempt on fourth down from the 8-yard line. This means, he said, one of the few things you can control is giving players as much confidence and as much clarity going into the game as possible. That was the furthest thing from his mind. The lines could have been made with a ruler. This is not just a fun anecdote, though: This is where Matt LaFleur first learned football. How Matt LaFleur will get Jordan Love ready for Packers' starting job They give credit to worse-looking guys, guys with terrible eyebrows and terrible hairlines, and hes blessed. This is their job and I expect them to come to work ready to play. Theres a lot of trust built up at this point between Matt and our players to protect them and put their best interest at heart and ultimately get the team thats going to be fresher whenever we play, says Darryl Franklin, LaFleurs chief of staff. Its not why we were there. As we walk through the tunnels of Lambeau Field, he explains that, like everyone, he cares what people think of him, but he tries hard to only value the opinion of his family, coaches, and players. Its not about me, its about everybody else. For some strange reason, LaFleur promoted from . Aaron set me straight, LaFleur said. He broke Don Shulas record in the Super Bowl era for best winning percentage in his first 40 games. There were some remarks where Im like, Is he just messing with me? "I think it's been a cool process from the day we drafted him to see him now, just to see how he's matured in every facet of life. Sometimes these lessons go the other way. I liked to be coached. His name was Kyle Shanahan, and hed been promoted from quarterbacks coach under Gary Kubiak. Hed put on a ludicrous amount of layers before winter games and he kept talking about the cold while addressing the team late in the season. It all starts with Kyle, Mike LaFleur said. He didnt care how it affected him, he just wanted to do what he thought was right., In the beginning, there was Bill Walsh College Football. Talk to any former Shanahan assistant and youll get the same response. Theres nothing he cannot do. While the Packers rarely draft receivers in the first round, theyve had great success finding them in the second including Greg Jennings (2006), Jordy Nelson (2008), Randall Cobb (2011), Davante Adams (2014) and Watson (2022). Some of the leaders didnt think it was in the teams best interests and told LaFleur a day off their feet would be more beneficial. People have to make the best decision for themselves. He will do something even if its worse for him. Now, the two former quarterbacks are reuniting in. Certainly, when we only score 10 points offensively, I put that all on myself.. He is, and I mean this with all sincerity, out of all the people that Ive known in life, in this profession or not, the most trustworthy human being Ive ever met, McDaniel said. Im walking around a vast, carpeted locker room in Lambeau Field in early August trying to find out why, and generally succeeding: Players are explaining in detail his widely praised management style and describing his football mind, which blends the concepts hes loved for years with those embraced by his quarterback into the best playbook in the NFL. Matt LaFleur bombed an interview 5 years ago to be Maryland's WR coach His response reflected rule No. Theres a lot of unknowns that need to be answered, and until we figure out all of that, I dont really know. Arthur Smith said he sees it took Matt LaFleur all day to come up with a response to his joking barb Tuesday. The way he does it is organic and yet purposeful. Hourly. Stenavich, the Packers offensive coordinator, said, I think a lot of people kind of get thrown off, because hes very direct. Rodgers is a rep guy who likes to practice a concept over and over to see if he feels comfortable. You might see them greet them, but this was legitimately asking them questions, spending time with them.. And in Houston the following year, LaFleurs first task was to draw the run plays for legendary offensive line coach Alex Gibbs. And, of course, how often each would pound the table for a particular concept. Matt LaFleur is one of the youngest coaches to lead an NFL team, and he put together an impressive season in 2020! Whether its real or not doesnt matter. Much of that Houston staff departed for Washington in 2010 to work under Mike Shanahan. Though I . Matthew Patrick LaFleur ( / lflur / l-FLOO-r; [2] born November 3, 1979 [1]) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). And if they questioned something, he often responded with a reconsideration. Five coaches in the 2019 hiring cycle have already departed their teams. You dont always see the superstars do that, LaFleur says. As much as anything, its why Rodgers will be a Packer in 2022. He will choose integrity over outcome or a game. We live in this. So whether you were vaxed or unvaxed, it doesnt shield you from it. If there was a vacancy on his staff, LaFleur wanted to be prepared. Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur turned down a chance to make the Super Bowl. The Packers lack of pass-rushing depth was exposed last season after Gary tore the ACL in his right knee. You can lay out a vision and certainly youve got to make some decisions, but it takes everyone. He mentions a handful of executives, then points to the locker room. He was completely infuriated but he never let anyone know. I was learning from him, not the other way around, McVay said of LaFleur. Five months after that, hes back making fun of his coachs hair. He has such a calm, cool demeanor that I think anybody would gravitate towards him.. Its a mindset. In LaFleur's first three seasons, they had 13, 11 and 13 turnovers. He always says, Man, the NFL playoffs is the closest thing to March Madness, its going to be super competitive and theres always lessons you can take from your triumphs and defeatsprobably more so when you come up short.. LaFleur is the dad in the passenger seat with the 15-year-old with their temps. Great hairline, great smile, and he dresses sharp.. There was also 10-Yard Fight, an obscure video game LaFleur loved as a kid, Tecmo Bowl, and, according to his brother, a lot of EA Sports NCAA Football. Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy spoke with Larry McCarren at the NFL Annual Meetings in Phoenix. (As I talked to Campbell in a Lambeau hallway, LaFleur happened to walk by, and when he heard Campbell saying nice things about him, he stuck his fingers in his ears and gave a loud la-la-la to drown out the compliments.). The story of this era of Packers football is about the merging of two of the most monumental forces in modern football: Rodgerss talent and the Shanahan-McVay playbook, whose variations have revolutionized a handful of teams, including both Super Bowl participants last year and three of the four conference finalists. In their second season together, Rodgers won the third of his four NFL MVPs. So, too, is the quarterback-coach relationship. I said, You know how I feel, but I was going to let him have his space and make whatever decision he thought was best for him. They are squared on the edges, like elongated rectangles. This part was all LaFleur, his personality, his upbringing and perspective. I think you guys probably notice it even when you're in the locker room," LaFleur said in a press conference this past Saturday, April 29. He's going to be the guy in the huddle and he's got to be an extension of us. I Want To Believe: Matt's Story | Matt Lafleur - Sick Pilgrim After the Saints stunned the Packers 38-3 in the opening game of the 2021 season, LaFleur said, Obviously, I didnt get these guys ready to play ball.. He was certain of that by the time he left campus that day in 2014. LaFleurs retorts usually arent for public consumption. And they take it like being attacked or something but hes just asking questions and being thorough. Stenavich said they recently changed the rules of a protection scheme not because LaFleur was angry, but because he just kept interrogating why they did it that way. Things become second nature to a Shanahan assistant that arent second nature to other coaches, Mike LaFleur said. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, president Mark Murphy and director of football operations Russ Ball also were involved in the discussions. Because I troll Matt all the time.. Assuming the Packers stay at 15, this would be just their second top-15 overall pick in the past 14 drafts. Teams are going to practice what theyve seen on tape, so take what theyve practiced and run the counter to it. That can create conflict in a lot of situations, but not for them. It goes back to his communication and the relationships he built., After playing at Saginaw Valley State in University Center, Michigan, where he rewrote SVSU record books and led them to the Division II playoffs, LaFleur went to the Indoor Football Leaguea league for people who say, You keep playing until you cant, said Dan Ragsdale, who was both a quarterback and offensive coordinator for the IFLs Billings Outlaws in 2004. On the postgame stage, LaFleur steps in front of the targeted and invites fire. Josiah Deguara, who had 13 catches for 114 yards last season, is the top tight end under contract. LaFleur gave that same freedom to Rodgers after last season, when the quarterback was unsure whether he wanted to keep playing. The offensive coordinator of that Texans team certainly knew a hell of a lot about football. Hed rather use his cadence at the line to get defenses to show him hints at what they are doing. Its going to be more of a group effort.. A lot of people said, Oh a 5-foot-10 quarterback cant play college ball, so I got used to drowning stuff out. LaFleur tells the story of the time, famous in his family, when his grandmother answered the phone after his grandfathera Kalamazoo, Michigan, high school coachlost a game. His players paint him as sort of a Gregg Popovich or Steve Kerrtype personality manager, if either man had an unbelievable skin care regimen. The most recent tight end the Packers picked in the first round was Miamis Bubba Franks, who went 14th overall in 2000. Kyle and Matt were huge mentors of mine. Davante knows how I feel about him, LaFleur says. LaFleur said almost nothing publicly about the controversy during the season, sidestepping questions. He went on to coach in the minor league UFL for two seasons with the Sacramento Mountain Lions before Shanahan brought him back on staff in Washington in 2011, a year after LaFleur, Shanahan, and McVay were hired there. The Packers drafted Auburn kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round on Saturday. Thats not just because he has to problem-solve an offense without one of the best receivers in football, but because he is entering Year 4 with one of the best quarterbacks of all time and they have yet to make a Super Bowl appearance. Clements is another spoke in the Packers wheel. He has been the force that keeps the team a team. Matt LaFleur said he has entertained the idea of Nathaniel Hackett returning to the Packers' staff. Its about whether youre willing to put in the grind and work your tail off to accomplish what they need.. A group of young receiversled by fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs or second-round pick Christian Watson, who has been banged upwill have opportunities to show something this year. That is the most satisfying part of the entire operation: When theres a [play] that hes kind of on the fence about, and then he starts to really, truly like it., I just have such a belief in him, LaFleur continues. Matt LaFleur explains decision to cut Kylin Hill: 'Being a member of Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC. And you have let the ball rip as soon as you plant your back foot, giving the quarterback just a split second to read the defense. I didnt understand exactly how to talk to him, and he didnt exactly understand how to talk to me, Rodgers says. Matt LaFleur Hires Former Teammate to Packers Coaching Staff It's the latest. [Adding] another young coach on staff, he wasnt threatened by me joining the party. If all their interactions were about throwing a football, their relationship would have been restricted. Last year he lost to Mike Vrabel by 28 votes, and the prior two years he didnt even finish second. I was like Holy shit, Ive got a lot to learn.. But Rodgers did not love all of the motion in the offense. Were still trying to figure everything out. Were talking in the middle of training camp, after all. He explained that he should not have expected Love to use the same tools to deal with blitzes that Rodgers could, given the difference in their experience levels. They selected Michigan outside linebacker Rashan Gary with the No. The league reflects their image now and they are having a great time with it. If Rodgers was ticked off at LaFleur, hed get frustrated and stew. But Murphy said he felt LaFleur might have known more about the organization that he did in the interviewnot just roster or schemes, but history, too. The Eagles entered the draft with six selections, including the tenth and 30th overall pick and a second and third-rounder. Mark Murphy 1-on-1: 'Health and safety' still a big focus for the NFL. I really like it now, Rodgers said. The good news is that the offense is built for just that. The third round has been disastrous for the Packers recently. We just named a quarterback assistant, Connor Lewis. That move could lead to the exit of free agent Mason Crosby, who has a franchise-record 1,918 career points over 17 seasons. LaFleur has become more than a head coach for the Packers. Holmgren is in the Packers Hall of Fame and soon could be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, with the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday the Packers could use the 13th pick (the reported compensation by Adam Schefter for the Aaron Rodgers trade) on another edge rusher or, at the very least, figure to pick one during Day 2. But that obscures the fact that if it were so easy to win 13 games, LaFleurs predecessor Mike McCarthy would have done it at least once in any of his last seven years at the helm. Green Bay has been the center of the media circus a handful of times over the past two years: Rodgerss will-he-or-wont-he controversies about retirement and trade demands, or his positive COVID test last season which led to the revelation that Rodgers was not vaccinated. "I don't think there's many things we're leaning on very well right now," LaFleur said after the loss to the Jets. Theres also one more evolution thats taken place. With all eyes on Jordan Love leading the franchise, head coach Matt LaFleur is backing his new QB1. Hes not confrontational, but hes not afraid of conflict, McDaniel said. In the hands of Aaron Rodgers, it is apocalyptic for NFL defenses. Only it was a ruse to get the two to shovel snow and park cars all night long. The coach-quarterback relationship ultimately helped LaFleur build trust with his entire team. I Want To Believe: . LaFleur has said he learned to cut his own hair during college. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. That, in turn, forced Barry to blitz more to generate pressure, with limited success. That exchange of ideas, LaFleur said, is what hes after. Packers face decision on unproven quarterback with fifth-year option Rodgers talked him through it and wiggled the tooth for him. I do think theres something to just momentum, and obviously coming out of those byes I would say maybe we havent kept the momentum going, at least last year. He starts to run through the teams that beat the Packers: A pretty darn good 49er team in the 2019 season, the Super Bowl champion two years ago, Tampa Bay. He watched Ryan Tannehill throw it as well as anyone in the league. LaFleur started in the coaching ranks as an offensive assistant at his alma mater in 2003, moved to Central Michigan in 2004, and eventually became offensive coordinator at Ashland University in 2007, the first place he ever called plays. Packers can shore up pivotal role in Matt LaFleur's offense with tight LaFleurs beginnings have been more successful than the beginnings of his Packers predecessor, who also inherited a Hall of Fame quarterback. That meant many conversations with Rodgers, and many more with Murphy, Gutekunst and Ball, trying to move both sides closer to middle ground. Its because when youve played for 16 years and saved your money, as Lewis has, its a matter of just wanting to continue. Now, theres some dispute about how much LaFleur actually knew at that time. It was a comfort. Matt LaFleur has 'nothing but love' for Aaron Rodgers as Jets and Maybe (Lukas) Van Ness from Iowa winds up falling to 15. The plan was dinner at Rodgers place just the two of them and Rodgers girlfriend, Shailene Woodley. Is he trying to get under my skin to rile me up? I tried to play a poker face as best I could, but internally, my heart might have skipped a beat or two. LaFleur said the jokes came from multiple guests at the wedding. It wasnt until probably about the last year that [Matt] was having somebody cut his own hair other than himself, McVay said. And at that stage, 99 percent of coaches wouldnt have had that security. That quickly changed. He asked Rodgers about him again this January. Matty Im sure knew this was a possibility, Rodgers says of the controversy. I thought my dad had the coolest job in the world when he was DBs coach at Central Michigan.. LaFleur acknowledges it took a minute for him and Rodgers to get on the same page. When LaFleur was a kid, family members called him Matty. Three of his childhood friends still call him that. Davante demanded so much of the ball because he was always open and if youve got a guy who is always open, you gotta give him the ball, Rodgers said. They are very simplistic rules, LaFleur says. By submitting your email, you agree to our, whose variations have revolutionized a handful of teams. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. Green Bay hasnt selected a wide receiver in the first round since taking Javon Walker from Florida State with the 20th overall pick in 2002. The Packers took Christian Watson in the second round and Romeo Doubs in the fourth last year, who is expected to get traded to the New York Jets. While some figured it was a foregone conclusion that the Packers would pick up the fifth-year option on their 2020 first-round draft pick at a $20.272 million fully guaranteed price tag for the 2024 season Gutekunst turned down the opportunity after the draft ended to flat-out say that yes, Love will indeed have his option picked up. The likelihood that free-agent safety Adrian Amos plays elsewhere this upcoming season means the Packers must restock the position. To Matt this may have been meaningful, but it doesnt even stick in my brain. I know he was taking a lot of heat. Trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by eight with just two minutes remaining, LaFleur sent out the field goal team, cutting the Packers deficit to 31-26. But I feel like I have to get him on the record: Why doesnt he get enough credit? I have 100 percent trust with him. Follow Dan on Twitter @danpompei, After a bumpy start, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have developed a strong working relationship. LaFleur remembers sitting in Washington and seeing the natural throwing motion and athleticism of Rodgers and realizing that theres nothing he cant do. He is one of 49 members on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors board and one of nine members on the Seniors Committee. It is a web of inside jokes and roasts that hasnt ended despite their respective rises up the ranks. But even more drastic press conferences than that have taken place during his Packers tenure. It might be the storywhy this all works. The depth of this draft class at receiver and particularly at tight end could push the Packers toward using the 15th overall pick to address other needs, such as adding a safety or a pass rusher. I want them to feel part of a team. While playing in Kalamazoo, LaFleur was the backup to Tim Lester, who would eventually become Western Michigan's head coach from 2017 to 2022. He has some really finely kept eyebrows.. DeVondre Campbell, a linebacker who broke out for the Packers last season, said that something as simple as LaFleur letting players sleep in their own bed the night before a home gamesomething Campbell has never seen at the NFL levelgives him freedom hes never experienced in the league. As LaFleur and I talk, we walk down Oneida Street in Green Bay and a stunned man stops pushing a stroller and waits for the coach to walk past. Once he hits 50 total games coached, which will happen Week 1 of this season, he can take his rightful place atop the all-time winning percentage list for coaches, a spot currently occupied by Guy Chamberlin, last seen coaching the 1927 Chicago Cardinals and retiring in his mid-30s to become a farmer. Certainly we made our fair share of mistakes because they made plays and we didnt. And then last year against the 49ers in the divisional round: Obviously our defense balled out and we didnt play up to our standard offensively or on special teams., LaFleur said hes talked often with McVay about the playoffs. The interview was four hours and it felt like 15 minutes, Murphy said. Different late-season rest regiment, play-calling, practice tweaks, anything? Then, Rodgers explains, LaFleur can make fun of the tempo plays Rodgers asked for, or correct him. I want them to be happy, I want them to enjoy being here. I didnt know, I didnt want to ask [Rodgers], I didnt want to push it and make it go the other way. Rodgers signed a new contract a few days later. Bill Bender joins Craig to discuss who he believes could be the first tight end drafted at this year's NFL Draft. If I see any other quarterback do something, I say, We can do that. I just tell our staff, the only thing that limits us is our own imagination.. The three rules require trust because there is much left assumed with only three. A relationship that falters, even for one series in one game, can alter the course of the franchise forever. (AP Photo/Matt York), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The week after the Saturday Christmas Day game, the Packers had an extra practice scheduled. Theres almost a rom-com-y feel to how Rodgers and LaFleur talk about following each others careers long before they joined up. Tight end Marcedes Lewis said if he didnt have LaFleur as his coach, he might not be in the leagueand not necessarily because LaFleur uses his skill set perfectly (though he does, letting Lewis be a dominant blocker and catch passes off those blocks). I am not trying to compete with anybody else in the league. Sean McVay, too. I thought (Clements would) be great for him.