If anyone was worried that Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was going to drag his feet on his search for a new defensive coordinator, they were very much mistaken. The decision to fire embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry was made on Wednesday and, already, Green Bay has been officially linked to four different candidates to replace him.
Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley was the first known candidate to interview for the Packers’ defensive coordinator position. Staley previously worked with Barry in 2020 when both were with the Rams. If hired, he would run a style of defense very similar to the one Barry ran in Green Bay over the past three seasons.
In addition to Staley, news broke on Friday that the Packers have requested permission to interview two other candidates. The first is Bobby Babich, the linebackers coach for the Buffalo Bills. Babich has been with Buffalo since 2017 and took over as linebackers coach when his father, Bob Babich, retired in 2021. The New York Giants have already interviewed Babich for their own defensive coordinator opening.
The second coach that the Packers have reportedly requested permission to interview is Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde. Born in Middlesex, England, Durde played professionally in Europe before joining Dan Quinn’s staff when he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay is one of three teams who have requested permission to interview Durde.
The Green Bay Packers Have Interviewed Denver Broncos Cornerbacks Coach Christian Parker
The final report regarding the Packers’ interviewing (or desire to interview) potential defensive coordinators on Friday came from Ian Rapoport, who posted on X that Green Bay had interviewed Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker:
The #Packers have interviewed rising #Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker for their vacant defensive coordinator job, source said. Just 32 years old, Parker has impressed.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 26, 2024
Parker previously worked for the Packers from 2019-2020 as a defensive quality control coach. Despite Green Bay’s intense desire to keep him on staff, he was lured away to Denver by former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio.
At just 32 years old, Parker would be the youngest coordinator in the NFL if hired.
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