Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recently agreed to a multi-year contract extension that is going to tie him to the organization for the foreseeable future. But while his job is now secure in the view of fans (it always was when it came to the organization), he does have a huge job to fill going into the 2026 NFL season.
That, of course, is the defensive coordinator position, which was recently vacated by Jeff Hafley who agreed to become the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
So far, the Packers have been officially linked to three different candidates with whom that have requested or scheduled interviews:
There will, of course, be more candidates announced as they are revealed by the team, but one likely candidate is a familiar face to those in Wisconsin.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur wants to interview Jim Leonhard
Former Wisconsin Badgers star and coach Jim Leonhard previously interviewed for the Packers defensive coordinator job back in 2021. However, he declined the job to stay at Wisconsin, where he was presumably told he was next in line to be the Badgers head football coach.
That, of course, did not happen as he was surprisingly passed over in favor of Luke Fickell.
Since leaving Wisconsin, Leonhard has established himself as one of the most highly sought-after defensive coordinator candidates through his work with the Denver Broncos, who employ him as their assistant head coach and defensive passing game coodintator.
And while 2021 may not have been the right time for Leonhard to join Green Bay, 2025 might be, and LaFleur apparently wants to explore that option:
Update: Jason Wilde now believes that LaFleur does want to interview Jim Leonhard for the Packers defensive coordinator job but cannot talk to him until Monday.
This is not a report but also kind of a report. https://t.co/wAKkunHBRJ pic.twitter.com/XwyTXgIwpU
— Poor Man’s Packers Podcast (@PMPPod) January 21, 2026
Packers insider Jason Wilde said on his show, “I was wrong to think that the way that ended in 2021 would preclude him from getting another opportunity from Matt LaFleur.
“Matt LaFleur, unlike me, and I need to be better about holding grudges, Matt LaFleur does not hold grudges.”
Wilde then explained that Green Bay cannot talk to Leonhard until after the AFC Championship according to NFL rules.
But then he continued, “My understanding is that Matt LaFleur wants to interview [Jim Leonhard]. But he can’t.”
Mark Tauscher, who played for Wisconsin and Green Bay, then clarified that LaFleur can interview Leonhard on Monday after the AFC title game.
To be clear, this is not an official report from Wilde. However, it is his understanding that LaFleur and the Packers organization do desire to interview Leonhard when he becomes available to talk to other NFL teams.
More Green Bay Packers news from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- Packers’ Matt LaFleur gets ‘mic drop’ take from Barry Alvarez amid defensive coordinator search
- Old Richard Sherman take on Jeff Hafley resurfaces after DC left Packers for Dolphins job
- Packers legend Brett Favre drops blunt take on Fernando Mendoza
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