Should the Green Bay Packers move on from Matt LaFleur after an embarrassing 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card round on Saturday?
That decision has not been made yet, but there is one obvious name if Green Bay does make a coaching change. John Harbaugh 00 who was fired by the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons -- is a rumored candidate for several NFL vacancies.
Does a move from LaFleur to Harbaugh make sense for Green Bay? The Packers have had just two head coaches the last 20 seasons between LaFleur and Mike McCarthy. Harbaugh, 63, has no intention of retiring, and ESPN's Adam Schefter added to the speculation on Sunday by pointing out that former Packers president Bob Harlan's son Bryant is Harbaugh's agent.
Matt LaFleur vs. John Harbaugh
Here is a look at the coaching comparison between Packers coach Matt LaFleur and former Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
| LAFLEUR | STAT | HARBAUGH |
| 76-40-1 | LAST 7 YEARS | 76-41 |
| 3-6 | PLAYOFF | 3-5 |
| 29-20-1 | LAST 3 YRS | 33-18 |
| 1-3 | PLAYOFF | 2-2 |
The coaches have almost-identical regular-season and post-season records over the last seven seasons. Harbaugh has been slightly better in the regular season and postseason the last three years.
Will Green Bay fire Matt LaFleur?
LaFleur has one year left on his contract and reportedly is meeting with Packers CEO and president Ed Policy to negotiate an extension. Will those plans change after Green Bay allowed 25 points in the fourth quarter against Chicago in what can only be defined as an epic playoff loss?
LaFleur is 76-40-1 with two NFC championship appearances since taking over the job, but that record has dipped to 29-20-1 the last three seasons with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback. Special teams miscues were blatant throughout the season, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is a candidate for other vacancies, and LaFleur's clock management helped the Bears rally from a 21-3 deficit in the second half.
Does LaFleur deserve the benefit of the doubt after Green Bay lost star players such as Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft and Zach Tom to season-ending injuries? Sure, but there are too many damning stats. Three losses when leading by 10 points or more with five minutes left. Two losses when the team didn't punt.
Green Bay can extend LaFleur -- and they probably will -- but the win-or-else sentiment could lead to high toxicity levels -- like the end of the McCarthy era -- if the Packers start slow in 2026. The Packers have three years left on Parsons' contract. The expectation should be to get to at least the NFC championship game in that stretch.
Would John Harbaugh fit in Green Bay?
Harbaugh would fit -- and the chance to coach in the NFC North would not be taken for granted.
Under Harbaugh, however, the Ravens have ranked no lower than 11th in scoring offense the last three years. Green Bay slipped to 16th this season. The thought of a Harbaugh-guided defense around Parsons is appealing, and the special teams would have to be better.
It is admittedly a lateral move with some similar patterns. The Ravens have blown more double-digit leads (14) than the Packers (nine) since 2019, and the slide this season with a team that featured Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is notable. The Athletic reported, “It isn't clear how much, if at all, (owner Steve) Bisciotti spoke to two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who isn't an easy player to get ahold of in the offseason. However, one Ravens veteran confirmed that other players had urged Jackson to be more vocal with Ravens decision-makers about matters affecting the team.
Harbaugh should be motivated for one more job, and that hire guarantees a solid winner with a track who has made four AFC championship appearances and won a Super Bowl. Could he get Green Bay back there in three years with a shot at the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance since 2010?
Verdict: Is it time for John Harbaugh in Green Bay?
The fact Adam Schefter is floating the idea out there means if Green Bay is going to act they will have to make a quick decision on LaFleur. Harbaugh will reportedly do interviews this week. The Packers theoretically could fire LaFleur and hire Kevin Stefanski or Mike McDaniel, but that would be less than a lateral move.
The Packers could just as easily sign an extension with LaFleur, and that would be the less emotional response to the Bears' loss and a vote of confidence in the track record and relationship between LaFleur and Love. LaFleur, however, would face more scrutiny than any point of the Aaron Rodgers' era which included a painful 31-26 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC championship game on Jan. 24, 2021. The loss to the Bears was at least equally as painful in Green Bay.
The Packers are now 5-8 (including playoffs) against NFC North opponents the last two seasons. This year, the Ravens went 3-1 against NFC North teams in that cycle through the schedule, including a 41-24 victory against the Packers and a 30-16 victory against the Bears. Harbaugh coached in the black-and-blue AFC North for 18 seasons -- and the rivalry with the Steelers is every bit as intense as those NFC North battles. Do you think Chicago coach Ben Johnson is going to do a fly-by handshake with a coach who went head-to-head with Mike Tomlin for 18 years?
This is 50/50. LaFleur should still be at the helm with a coaching staff overhaul. But if the two sides agree to part ways, Harbaugh is the only choice for a new day in Green Bay.