The Green Bay Packers enter the postseason as the NFC’s No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season 9-7-1. Their path sends them on the road to Chicago for a playoff matchup against a Bears team they know well. Green Bay and Chicago split their two regular-season meetings, adding another chapter to one of the league’s most familiar rivalries. For Matt LaFleur, this postseason represents both continuity and unfinished business.
Postseason resume shaped by high expectations
LaFleur’s playoff record stands at 3-5, a number that rarely tells the full story of his tenure in Green Bay. From the start, expectations were elevated. He inherited a roster built to win immediately and delivered results just as quickly. Three straight 13-win seasons early in his tenure set a standard few coaches reach, let alone maintain.
Those teams consistently reached January, often with home-field advantage, but fell short of a Super Bowl appearance. The postseason losses, many of them to San Francisco, have become part of the conversation around LaFleur’s legacy. Fair or not, his regular-season success created a higher bar, where anything short of a championship felt incomplete.
Regular-season success that still defines the foundation
LaFleur’s regular-season record remains elite. He owns a 76-39-1 mark, one of the best winning percentages among active head coaches. The 2025 season looked different from his early years. Green Bay finished 9-7-1, earning the final NFC playoff spot rather than controlling the conference.
That shift reflects roster evolution, quarterback transition, and a league that has grown more balanced. Even so, the Packers remained competitive enough to reach the postseason, extending LaFleur’s pattern of keeping Green Bay relevant deep into the year.
Lessons from earlier playoff runs
LaFleur’s early playoff experiences came quickly and often. His first season ended in the NFC Championship Game. The next two followed the same script, deep runs that ended one step short of the Super Bowl. Those losses were defining not because of failure, but because of how close Green Bay came.
Since then, the Packers’ postseason appearances have been less predictable. There have been road wins, early exits, and seasons where January football slipped away entirely. Through it all, LaFleur has remained steady, adapting his offense and leadership style as the roster changed.
More: Inside Dave Canales' first playoff test and the Panthers' new direction
Chicago test and a familiar opponent
This postseason matchup carries unique weight. Green Bay travels to Chicago, a rare playoff meeting for the historic rivalry. The teams split their regular-season games, each winning at home, reinforcing how narrow the margin has been.
For LaFleur, preparation matters as much as emotion. Rivalry games tend to strip plans down to fundamentals. Execution, discipline, and situational awareness decide outcomes more than surprises. It is the kind of environment where coaching decisions are magnified.
What this postseason means for LaFleur
At this stage, LaFleur’s legacy is not in question. He has delivered sustained success, guided the Packers through transition, and kept the franchise competitive in a changing NFC. What remains open is the next chapter of his postseason story.
This playoff appearance is not about reclaiming past dominance. It is about proving that Green Bay can still win meaningful games in January under his leadership, even when the path is harder and the margin thinner.
As the No. 7 seed, the Packers enter without the pressure of favoritism but with the weight of history. For Matt LaFleur, this postseason is another opportunity to reshape the narrative of his playoff resume and reinforce his place in the long arc of Packers football.
MORE:
- Inside Dave Canales' first playoff test and the Panthers' new direction
- Inside Sean McVay's playoff track record and Rams legacy