Packers May Fire Fan-Favorite Coach Following Previous Rejection

The Packers’ Matt LaFleur attempted to entice Jim Leonhard, a ten-year NFL veteran and defensive coordinator for Wisconsin, to leave Madison and take the same position in Green Bay three years prior. After completing the interview process and meeting with LaFleur and other organization members, Leonhard was given the opportunity to apply for the job. In the end, he declined. LaFleur took a different tack and appointed Joe Barry as the defensive coordinator for the Packers.

Before receiving harsh criticism this year, Barry served for three seasons. LaFleur ultimately let him go this week. After a coaching change in Wisconsin, Leonhard moved on, and the position is now open once more. It seems like a straightforward idea, and one that has been gaining traction on social media and elsewhere: assign Leonhard to the DC position.

Pete Dougherty, a veteran reporter for the Packers, stated that while he is not discounting it, it is not that easy.

Dougherty stated this week in his mailbag, “I would think there is good reason to think Leonhard would be a candidate this time, too, if LaFleur liked him enough to be ready to hire him three years ago.” However, given that Leonhard essentially turned him down the last time—my understanding is that he was not formally offered the position, but it was implied—LaFleur might not be interested and be inclined to ask herself, “Why would I want a guy who did not want to be here before?”

A Well-liked Pick for the Packers’ Defensive Coordinator Position is Jim Leonhard
Following Barry’s dismissal on Wednesday, the name Leonhard started to surface. He left Wisconsin in 2022 and worked as a consultant for Illinois for the past year; this is not exactly a high-level position. One would have to assume that Leonhard would be an obvious choice for the position this time around if LaFleur still desired him.

He also has a lot of backing. Naturally, he is a local, but he would approach the position from the standpoint of a player—Leonhard was a walk-on at Wisconsin before going on to have a successful NFL career that saw him start for five different teams.

“I have no idea if the Packers are going to interview Jim Leonhard again or if they have any interest,” PackaDay Podcast owner Andy Herman stated on Twitter/X. Leonhard’s interest in the position is unknown to me as well. However, it seems strange to say he is not a good candidate when the Eagles were very interested in him as a defensive coordinator just last year, and the Packers literally offered him the position the previous time around.