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I have 100 percent trust with him. 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). They are squared on the edges, like elongated rectangles. Even so, he does not feel a ton of pressure. 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. But those undiscovered moments helped bring LaFleur and Rodgers together and keep them together through the coming turbulence. LaFleur was the Titans offensive coordinator by then, but Rodgers recalled how much he loved those concepts when LaFleurs staff first came in. Its a mindset. The Packers are picking 15th overall after going 8-9 last season, missing the playoffs and ending a string of three straight NFC North titles. So hes like, Whatever, Im not gonna concern myself with the trivial nature of getting mad. He just wants to know the answer.. I told him Im here for him and I support him, LaFleur says. Youre not facing the defense, turned toward the running back on the fake for most of the play. That now-famous Washington staff included both Shanahans (Kyle as offensive coordinator), LaFleur (quarterbacks coach), McVay (tight ends coach) and McDaniel (offensive assistant turned wide receivers coach). When the team hosted kids and their families from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the coach noticed Rodgers did more than provide autographs like he was signing checks to pay bills. On the postgame stage, LaFleur steps in front of the targeted and invites fire. The Packers enter this season with the second-best odds to win the NFC behind only the Buccaneers. McVay, LaFleurs former boss in Los Angeles, uses it too. The best coaches push you to do things that youre uncomfortable with, Ryan says. Total Packers with Matt LaFleur: Rasul Douglas - Green Bay Packers This is their job and I expect them to come to work ready to play. Adams is an impossible player to replace, someone capable of lining up in the slot or out wide, and catching passes all over the fieldlast season he had double-digit receptions behind the line of scrimmage, within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, 10-19 yards deep, and then 20-plus yards deep; and according to Pro Football Focus, over the past two seasons, when Adams was in single coverage, passes to him registered a 129.6 passer rating. I said, Listen, Im not going to wear you out, LaFleur says. Coaching is about many things, but one of the foundational, overlooked aspects is trust. He believes it was evident in how the Packers played. The most common answer is obvious. The most recent tight end the Packers picked in the first round was Miamis Bubba Franks, who went 14th overall in 2000. And at that stage, 99 percent of coaches wouldnt have had that security. He was apprehensive, as he had not yet lost a tooth. We just named a quarterback assistant, Connor Lewis. 12 pick in 2019. who played one special teams snap and no offensive snaps as a rookie, was suspended the last six games of the season. Join Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur and analyst Larry McCarren as they recap the regular season finale vs. the Detroit Lions. What Lambeau, Lombardi, McCarthy and Holmgren have that LaFleur does not are championships. Could you imagine if we could ever find a guy like that? He is so good, in fact, that LaFleur fights the urge to let him pass on every play. 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. FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2021, file photo, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, left, talks to Aaron Rodgers during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago. LaFleur and Rodgers operate as part millennial Vince LombardiBart Starr and part bickering old married coupleif the old married couple won 80 percent of their football games and designed an offense that combined classic Shanahan-McVay principles with Rodgerss ability to lay waste to entire Midwestern cities. Its pretty cool. The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. Packers may look to fortify pass rush in 2023 NFL Draft The Green Bay Packers announced running back Kylin Hill and punter Amari Rodgers, both 2021 draft picks, were released this week following Sunday's overtime victory over the Cowboys. He wanted to give Rodgers time and space. Those in the building remain impressed with LaFleurs ability to never let anything affect the locker room, no matter the media firestorm. In LaFleur's first three seasons, they had 13, 11 and 13 turnovers. He was a joy to coach, not only a great player but a great person, a great competitor and leader on our football team. Franklin, who has known LaFleur since they were graduate assistants at Central Michigan in 2005, says he perceived a decrease in LaFleurs anxiety last season. Who that will be, I dont know yet.. More than 48,000 people died by suicide in the US in 2021 . He is one of 49 members on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors board and one of nine members on the Seniors Committee. Hes so freaking good-looking, Rodgers said, in a dead serious tone. LaFleur is the dad in the passenger seat with the 15-year-old with their temps. The Packers played in Green Bay last Christmas Day. You could trust him with your life or your family. He said that if he was going through something and had to call one person who he knows would drop everything, it would be LaFleur. And we're excited for him.". All in all, the Packers have retooled their roster to better fit Love's skill sets and it will only be a matter of time before that manifests into something big. And so does Kyle Shanahan, who LaFleur worked for in Houston, Washington, and Atlantathough Shanahan calls it drift. It can be, LaFleur said, an uncomfortable play for the quarterback: a quick-hitting, five-step pass (or six steps if youre moving to the left) from under center. Lets have an open dialogue and conversation and get better. Most importantly, it takes these guys. 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. Then, Rodgers explains, LaFleur can make fun of the tempo plays Rodgers asked for, or correct him. The flip side of that is that LaFleur empowers his assistants and wants input, Stenavich said, and lets assistants address the room in ways other coaches might not. Hes ready. If Rodgers was ticked off at LaFleur, hed get frustrated and stew. The Packers Miss Super Bowl Thanks to Terrible 4th Down Decision - Insider video. I really sit back and think, here we are, with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. And the onus will be on coaches to figure out how to help these players find success. And Rodgers. Hourly. Everybody knows coaches are almost inept about everyday activities like dressing themselves, doing laundry or self-grooming, Rodgers says. No, youre gonna find a way to solve the problem., No one really knows how Adams will be replaced, and thats not necessarily a bad thing. [Adding] another young coach on staff, he wasnt threatened by me joining the party. I get hired by the Texans, Im 28 years old, our offensive coordinator was my age and I was thinking, This kid cant know that much more than me. And I was blown away. Then when passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy resigned to become offensive coordinator of the Bears, LaFleur told Rodgers he wanted to talk to Clements. As head coach Matt LaFleur explained over the weekend, everyone knew what the situation was with Rodgers likely heading to New York. LaFleur's first two teams finished 26 th and 29 th in special teams rankings, so he fired coordinator Shawn Mennenga after the 2020 campaign. McVay said he looks for a handful of things in an assistant: character, capacity to learn, communication skills, and knowledge of the game from an all-22 perspectivemeaning every position. He creates an environment where he gets all the fluff out of the way and all that matters is studying the tape and getting the most out of players every single day.. They are grown men. Certainly, there are adjustments, LaFleur says. I spent the majority of my offseason, I would say, trying to defuse the situation as best as we could, LaFleur says. 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. Five months after that, hes back making fun of his coachs hair. Thats kind of how my family rolls, LeFleur says. He also gave embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry a vote of confidence. Matt LaFleur will coach one more game this season. 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. One of the best things you can say about Matt is that the guys hes worked with usually play their best ball when hes with them, McVay said. How Matt LaFleur will get Jordan Love ready for Packers' starting job Already, LaFleur has more 13-win seasons in three years than Mike Holmgren had in 17. ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay said this is the strongest tight end class in the past decade or so. They had lunch al fresco and talked about how Clements could help the Packers. The football acumen he carries with him is pure Shanahan. Its also a reason Rodgers was voted the leagues most valuable player the last two years. So I think a lot of people say, Oh OK, youve got a Hall of Fame quarterback. But Matts a big reason that the Hall of Fame quarterback won the MVP the last two years., A lot of people want to discredit him because he has a Hall of Fame quarterback, but the reality is hes done a phenomenal job capturing a really cool locker room in terms of star players and talent and getting them all to play at a very high level, said Jets coach Robert Saleh, a longtime friend and former coworker of LaFleurs. Instead of having the entire team stay at a hotel the night before the game, which is customary for NFL teams, LaFleur allowed veterans to stay home. There wasnt anything other than, This guy will work his butt off, Saleh says now. In multiple conversations over the two days after the end of the Packers season, LaFleur made sure Rodgers knew how much he was wanted. Matt is a big part of that puzzle of why to get up every morning, Lewis said. LaFleur starts an impression of a midwestern grandma: Why yes it is, and of course, the caller was disarmed. Green Bay needed someone to add depth to the quarterback spot behind Love and while Clifford may not have been the ideal selection then, the Packers see something in him that might serve him well as a backup. Rodgers is a rep guy who likes to practice a concept over and over to see if he feels comfortable. Lafleur started a text conversation with Rodgers during his telecast and nearly responded by Facetiming him on live television. A relationship that falters, even for one series in one game, can alter the course of the franchise forever. Packers enter draft needing to find more playmakers for Love So he was no. For others, they are growth experiences. It was like he was running on a hamster wheel, McDaniel said. He has some really finely kept eyebrows.. That, in turn, forced Barry to blitz more to generate pressure, with limited success. That would be a steal.. He mentions Tom Clementswho just returned as the Packers quarterbacks coach and who coached him earlier in his careerand former quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, now the offensive coordinator in Cleveland, as people whove given him extremely granular tasks to improve on each day. 1: Team first. Our football philosophies kind of developed together.. It eventually came out, giving Ty a story that he might tell his grandkids. 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. LaFleur acknowledges it took a minute for him and Rodgers to get on the same page. He had no problem running on two hours of sleep. He was supportive from the start.. This thing doesnt operate with just one dude. Whether its real or not doesnt matter. Dillon give the Packers one of the NFLs top running back tandems. Glenn Erby. But he also took the blame for the loss, saying he failed to tell Rodgers he wouldnt have a fourth down to try to convert. The offensive coordinator of that Texans team certainly knew a hell of a lot about football. The only issue was Rodgers was in the middle of a cleanse. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. LaFleur reiterated his hope that he'd get to continue working with Rodgers this season while offering no news on the quarterback's status. Though I . His players paint him as sort of a Gregg Popovich or Steve Kerrtype personality manager, if either man had an unbelievable skin care regimen. And then LaFleur backed off. He will choose integrity over outcome or a game. But the Packers never used a first-round pick on a wide receiver or tight end throughout four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers 18 seasons in Green Bay. Matt LaFleur is one of the youngest coaches to lead an NFL team, and he put together an impressive season in 2020! The credentials, or the journey to get the credentials, though, are important. Motion, fakes. In three seasons together, LaFleur and Rodgers have won 13 games three times and reached the NFC championship game twice. I always felt like it was a belief that you could really lock in an advantage, Rodgers says now of that interaction. The league reflects their image now and they are having a great time with it. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. At the time, he had been in a firestorm because he was unvaccinated but previously told the media he was immunized after undergoing a treatment to heighten his immunity. Things become second nature to a Shanahan assistant that arent second nature to other coaches, Mike LaFleur said. Its important to really think about how we talk because our words are spells. His response reflected rule No. This is not just a fun anecdote, though: This is where Matt LaFleur first learned football. Matt LaFleur has noticed a different "mojo" with Jordan Love And theyre gonna make you throw the football? I wanted him to do what made him happy, because I think too many times we forget these players are people, first and foremost. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Aaron Rodgers was a couple of thousand miles from Green Bay, and as far as the Packers knew, his mind might have been further. So, too, is the quarterback-coach relationship. As LaFleur transitions from the 2021 season to the beyond, there are wounds to heal, transitions to navigate and redemption to be won. They selected Michigan outside linebacker Rashan Gary with the No. Serving as the officiant of the marriage for teammate David Bakhtiari and Frankie Shebby at the Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, Calif., Rodgers undoubtedly was having thoughts beyond the everyday variety. I Want To Believe: Matt's Story | Matt Lafleur - Sick Pilgrim What Rodgers didnt know was that LaFleur was listening to the broadcast while game-planning. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. 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. Rodgers' move to the New York Jets had finally come through after weeks of negotiations with both franchises dealing away a significant amount of picks moving around and it only further solidified how much trust the organization has in him. LaFleur draws a line from those experiences to now, when he has to drown out noise on a weekly basis. Matt LaFleur wins games at a higher clip than any pro football coach in history. 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.. 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. FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Wintry mix lingers around I think Mike Tomlin has said this, and I thought it was a great way of articulating it, but there was almost a youthful arrogance and blissfulness that allowed us to, regardless of the results, put our heads down and work and be [feel] really fortunate to be in the roles we had, said McVay. We didnt even talk about it, to tell you the truth, LaFleur says it being his quarterbacks future. LaFleur gave that same freedom to Rodgers after last season, when the quarterback was unsure whether he wanted to keep playing. We always thought hed be a perfect fit for the scheme. I want them to be happy, I want them to enjoy being here. But the Packers never got the ball back. So it's not like LaFleur had to have some sort of. A Rodgers trade could bring them more picks. I want them to feel part of a team. Packers can shore up pivotal role in Matt LaFleur's offense with tight You might see them greet them, but this was legitimately asking them questions, spending time with them.. 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. Aaron audibles a lot. I Want To Believe: . If all their interactions were about throwing a football, their relationship would have been restricted. The Green Bay Packers have begun the process of moving on from the Aaron Rodgers era. Is This the Year Matt LaFleur Finally Gets the Credit He Deserves But privately, he extended a hand. He also saw that LaFleur was humble enough to ask any question and bold enough to push for answers. Theres a lot of unknowns that need to be answered, and until we figure out all of that, I dont really know. Knowing that we both come to it just wanting to do whats best for the team and with love and respect for each other.. 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. And we need to make sure that were manifesting through our words the reality we want to achieve. LaFleur is fine with the cold now. Because I troll Matt all the time.. 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. (Larry Radloff / Icon Sportswire via Associated Press). His ability to throw on the move. It wasnt until probably about the last year that [Matt] was having somebody cut his own hair other than himself, McVay said. 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. "We're going to have to add some bodies to that room," coach Matt LaFleur said last month at the NFL's owners meetings. LaFleur showed up with a bottle of scotch, the kind stores keep in a case behind the counter. LaFleur defended his decision to kick the field goal. It was another to earn the trust of an independent-minded, future Hall of Fame quarterback who reputedly could be as cold as a Lambeau Field goal post in January. Its so cool, he said, to see your entire friend group rise up in your profession with you. Hiring Clements was a bow to Rodgers, but like a lot of what LaFleur has done, it was more than that. The guy that went to Kyle and said, Hey, I really believe in this dude and we need him back, was Matt. The third round has been disastrous for the Packers recently. This part was all LaFleur, his personality, his upbringing and perspective. 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. The wedding story starts where all LaFleur stories do: with the coach trying to give everyone space to be themselves. They ask you to do a lot of things with your back to the defense. LaFleur has won two playoff games as a head coach but has yet to lead his team to a Super Bowlthis despite earning a first-round playoff bye in each of his three seasons. 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. Matt LaFleur explains decision to cut Kylin Hill: 'Being a member of Matt LaFleur, the new head coach for the Green Bay Packers, is married to wife BreAnne, is the father of two boys, and has a brother who is also involved in the National Football League. LaFleur began considering one of his new assistants more than a year ago when he asked Rodgers about Tom Clements, who had been an assistant with the Packers for 11 years of Rodgers career before LaFleurs arrival. 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. That is what is unfolding in Green Bay. But the team that plays the best in that three-hour window wins, he told me. As a coach, you have to be careful of having too many rules because you can paint yourself into a corner. After the Packers lost to the 49ers 13-10 in the divisional playoff round, LaFleur didnt speak with coded words about how Rodgers failed to capture the big moments or hint at his dissatisfaction with a special teams unit that gave up a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and had 10 men on the field for the 49ers field goal that won the game. That is special, really special.. The argument LaFleur suffers from is that hes a beneficiary of Rodgerss talent. LaFleur said almost nothing publicly about the controversy during the season, sidestepping questions. Of course, there were several unsightly seams between Rodgers and others in the organization. Its why he was a Packer in 2021. I mean, he is so efficient at it, LaFleur said. 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. Pete Carroll uses them. The Truth About Matt LaFleur's Wife - NickiSwift.com I hadnt really ever hit it, so I had no reference point to be able to throw that with confidence, Rodgers said. Assuming the Packers stay at 15, this would be just their second top-15 overall pick in the past 14 drafts. I dont need to sit there and babysit them. Daily. It is unprecedented turnover in this new era of loosened . And he was still so spooked when he returned to Green Bay that he talked to offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich about it. In June, before his first season, LaFleur threw the first pitch at the Green and Gold charity softball game at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. His sons, Luke and Ty, were there, as was his quarterback. It all starts with Kyle, Mike LaFleur said. And LaFleur moved past the question almost impossibly quickly. He also learned how everything ties together: Sometimes, he said, youll trade in a 3-yard pass in order to set up an explosive pass. This only grew with time: LaFleur wanted to have direct conversations because he felt it was the only way to get the answers to his endless football curiosity. This period ended organicallya meeting here, a play there, a series of expansive Zoom calls before the 2020 season. All Rights Reserved. Kyle and Matt were huge mentors of mine. LaFleur seemed to think the talent was there, and the only change needed was at the top. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Needs To Fire His - Forbes Josiah Deguara, who had 13 catches for 114 yards last season, is the top tight end under contract. The more you talk to the core of the LaFleur-Shanahan-McVay tree, the more you realize that youre in the middle of what feels like the worlds most chaotic group chat between football geniuses. Dillon. Hes got great eyebrows, he dresses nice, and they just get distracted by all the things he brings to the table and they dont give him credit. Obviously I would rather have him on my team than someone elses, but we know that in this industry, nothing is forever., Well, Ill be honest with you, LaFleur begins. The three rules are very easy to abide by, in our opinion. Matt LaFleur's ability to build trust, starting with Aaron Rodgers, is 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. I am not trying to compete with anybody else in the league. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. McDaniel said that with everyone in their 20s or early 30s, with no kids, coaches worked 20-hour days just to get Kyle Shanahans workplace affection. "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. G reen Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur may have just asked for a migraine when Green Bay visits the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. LaFleur could not prevent the departure of the player he has called footballs best wide receiver. Matt LaFleur's Hiring Process Is Killing the Packers If that means staying in their own home, in their own bed, do that.. History suggests they wont add any in the first round of next weeks NFL draft. When LaFleur realized how perturbed Rodgers was last offseason, Rodgers said his coach was on the next flight to visit him in Malibu, Calif. That was definitely meaningful to me, Rodgers says. Despite social, political, and existential crises, the foundation of my Catholic identity held firm.