The NFL playoff field is set, and 18 teams have officially entered the offseason. For some, that transition brings stability and continuity. For others, it marks the start of difficult decisions. Coaches and front-office staff will lose jobs, while others will begin interviewing for vacancies around the league.
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is expected to draw strong interest for several head-coaching vacancies. Notably, he has been listed as a serious candidate for the New York Giants, and the Tennessee Titans reportedly plan on requesting permission to interview him. That level of interest reflects the buzz around the league after how effectively Hafley transformed Green Bay’s defense over the past two seasons.
With that in mind, Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst must have a contingency plan in place if Hafley departs this offseason. Green Bay will enter 2026 with Super Bowl aspirations, and the front office must ensure the Packers are as well-positioned as possible, roster- and coaching-wise, to make a legitimate run.
If Hafley were to leave, Green Bay would have several intriguing options to consider at defensive coordinator. Jonathan Gannon, who the Arizona Cardinals fired on Monday, would immediately draw interest. Gannon previously served as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022, when the unit ranked eighth in EPA/play and 19th in success rate. Jim Leonhard, the Denver Broncos’ defensive pass-game coordinator and assistant head coach, would also be a logical candidate. However, the most intriguing name in that mix may be Raheem Morris.
Morris became available after the Atlanta Falcons dismissed him just hours after their 19-17 Week 18 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Compared to Gannon and Leonhard, he brings significantly more NFL experience to the table. His coaching trajectory is unusual, beginning with a rapid promotion from defensive backs coach to head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009.
Following his early head-coaching stint in Tampa Bay, he worked across multiple roles – position coach, pass-game coordinator on offense and defense, and assistant head coach. His first true opportunity to run a defense didn’t arrive until the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Rams. That group ranked 14th in EPA per play and 17th in success rate.
Raheem Morris has a prior working relationship with Matt LaFleur. They overlapped in Atlanta, where LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach, and again in Washington, with LaFleur in the same role while Morris coached the defensive backs. That shared history matters, particularly when it comes to language, practice structure, and how to teach complementary football.
“I’ve talked to Raheem,” LaFleur said on Tuesday. “Certainly, never want to see that (Morris’ dismissal), period, but especially for one of your closest friends. I thought he did a really nice job with that push at the end of the season.”
Morris’s ties extend beyond LaFleur. He also worked alongside Kyle Shanahan in Washington and Atlanta during the same periods, giving him direct exposure to the offensive philosophies that stem from the McVay-Shanahan-LaFleur coaching tree. That background makes him well-versed in the defensive principles typically emphasized against those systems.
There is also a scenario in which Jeff Hafley eventually returns to Titletown in 2026, but if he lands a head-coaching position this offseason, it would be both earned and deserved. Should that happen, the Packers must be proactive in identifying a successor. Raheem Morris should be firmly on Green Bay’s shortlist as a viable candidate capable of leading the defense and maximizing the talent already in place.
