Jason Wilde joins Jim Rutledge & Pablo Iglesias to discuss the fallout from the Packers extending head coach Matt LaFleur, including who the next defensive coordinator will be after Jeff Hafley's departure for Miami. Jason gives the one candidate with deep Wisconsin connections who he wants in Green Bay as sheds some light on the other external and internal candidates for the job! They also take a temperature check on Rich Bisaccia's job as special teams coordinator -- would LaFleur be willing to move on from his coaching "consigliere"? Also, how does LaFleur's extension factor into the desirability an assistant/coordinator job in Green Bay?

Packers reporter Jason Wilde joined The Homer Hour to discuss Matt LaFleur’s contract extension and the team’s belief in their head coach. Wilde said LaFleur gained leverage after guiding a young, retooled roster to a competitive season, showing development and stability despite the major injuries.

Wilde explained the Packers believe LaFleur can still lead them to a Super Bowl because of his consistency, adaptability, and track record of keeping the team competitive through roster changes. While LaFleur doesn’t need to win immediately, expectations rise next season, and progress alone won’t be enough. The key tweak will be execution in big moments as the Packers try to take the next step.

The offseason moved fast — and then it sped up even more.

Jen, Gabe & Chewy open the show reacting to the news that Jeff Hafley has officially been hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, making him the first Packers defensive coordinator in franchise history to be hired away directly into a head coaching role.

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It’s a milestone moment — and a major problem for Green Bay.

🏈 Why Hafley chose Miami

The crew discusses why Miami made sense:

A full rebuild situation

A patient ownership group

A chance to reset expectations

Familiarity with new GM John Eric Sullivan, another former Packers executive

They speculate whether Hafley wanted a longer runway instead of immediate pressure — and whether Miami’s quarterback uncertainty actually helped him by lowering expectations early.

🔄 What this means for the Packers

With Hafley gone, the Packers now face yet another defensive reset, and the group questions whether the organization has become too comfortable with:

Hiring young, first-time coordinators

Promoting from within

Accepting learning curves on the fly

Chewy emphasizes that while Hafley showed promise, the defense still suffered from:

Communication breakdowns

Missed assignments

Red-zone failures

Late-game collapses

Which raises a key question:

Do the Packers need another young teacher — or an adult in the room?

🧠 Experience vs philosophy

The discussion becomes a philosophical debate about what actually matters on defense:

Scheme vs adaptability

Philosophy vs execution

Teaching vs accountability

The hosts agree that rigid systems fail when talent doesn’t fit — and point to Bill Belichick’s flexibility as the gold standard: adjusting the defense every year based on personnel, not dogma.

🧾 Breaking down the DC candidate list

Using a list compiled by beat reporters, the crew runs through potential candidates and reacts in real time:

Young risers with no coordinator experience

Former head coaches looking to reset

Familiar names the Packers have passed on before

Names like Christian Parker, Jim Leonhard, Brian Flores, Raheem Morris, Zach Orr, and Al Harris spark strong opinions — especially around whether past failure as a head coach should disqualify someone from being a coordinator.

Chewy’s line lands hard:

“I don’t care what your philosophy is — just get guys in the right spot.”

🎙️ Jason Wilde joins later in the hour

Later in the show, Jason Wilde adds context on:

Why Rich Bisaccia is unlikely to be fired despite fan frustration

How roster youth directly impacts special teams performance

Why the Packers’ build-it-young philosophy creates downstream problems

Why letting veterans walk for “tiny savings” can hurt championship chances

Wilde also explains why LaFleur is not on a prove-it deal — but why expectations will still be championship-level.

⚖️ The bigger picture

The hour closes with a sobering realization:

The Packers are good at developing coaches — but not always great at keeping them.

That puts pressure on every hire to be:

The right teacher

The right communicator

The right stabilizer

Because the margin for error is shrinking.

🎧 A revealing look at coaching turnover, defensive identity, and why this next hire could quietly define the Packers’ future — only on Jen, Gabe & Chewy.

Packers, Green Bay Packers, Jeff Hafley, Packers defensive coordinator, Packers coaching search, Packers defense, Brian Flores, Jim Leonhard, Christian Parker, Matt LaFleur, Packers offseason, NFL coaching carousel, ESPN Milwaukee, Jen Gabe and Chewy

Packers sign Matt LaFleur to a multiyear deal and Jason Wilde breaks down all you need to know about how they came to this decision and what happens next for the coaching staff. He also discusses how the reporting structure stays the same with LaFleur, Gutekunst and Ball all still reporting to Ed Policy.

Jason Wilde joins Jim, Matt & Molly to discuss Day 6 of Matt LaFleur's contract watch -- what's the holdup at this point in negotiations, what is LaFleur looking for, and how would he be viewed on the open market? Does it all come back to money equals respect? Molly also asks if Ed Policy created a problem that didn't need to exist when he said he didn't like lame-duck coaches? Finally, when will we get the news, and what if it drops during the Bears game on Sunday???

Jason Wilde joins Jen, Gabe & Chewy to break down why Matt LaFleur’s contract situation continues to drag on and what that silence may reveal about the Packers’ true level of commitment. The conversation explores extension leverage, lame-duck seasons, internal options if talks fall apart, and why coaching uncertainty can quietly weigh on a locker room. Plus, where LaFleur fits in today’s coaching market and why Green Bay may soon have to decide if he’s truly “their guy.”

Packers reporter Jason Wilde joined The Homer Hour and addressed the future of Matt LaFleur, saying Green Bay is much closer to an extension than letting him walk — but it’s not done yet. The sticking point isn’t performance, it’s power and structure, with internal changes in the organization playing a role in the delay.

Wilde added that from a player standpoint, the biggest offseason focus is building consistency and trust around Jordan Love, as the Packers look to solidify their direction heading into next season.

ESPN Packers reporter Jason Wilde joins Jen, Gabe & Chewy for a wide-ranging, candid discussion about Matt LaFleur’s future, the Packers’ reputation for being cheap with assistant coaches, and why firing the head coach would not magically fix Green Bay’s problems.

Wilde begins by acknowledging the awkward reality:

LaFleur is under contract, the extension is trending toward happening, and yet days later there is still no clarity. He calls the situation “weird,” explaining that the longer it drags out, the more speculation fills the vacuum — not because something dramatic is happening, but because the Packers are struggling to find common ground on years and money.

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🏈 LaFleur: flawed, but far from the problem

Wilde is clear: Matt LaFleur is not blameless. He has made mistakes, especially in late-game management and discipline. But Wilde strongly pushes back on the idea that LaFleur is a bad coach or the sole reason the Packers have stalled.

He explains that fans often oversimplify failure, ignoring:

Injuries that wiped out entire position groups

A roster that was never as strong as it looked on paper

Structural issues that go beyond one play-caller

Wilde reminds listeners that Aaron Rodgers’ public frustrations weren’t always wrong — they often highlighted real organizational issues.

🔁 Loyalty to a fault

One of the segment’s most revealing points centers on LaFleur’s loyalty.

Wilde argues the problem isn’t that LaFleur hires assistants he’s not threatened by — it’s that he’s too loyal to people he trusts. Coaches like Luke Getsy and Nathaniel Hackett were excellent in their original roles, but promotion doesn’t always equal readiness.

Wilde uses Ray Rhodes and other examples to explain how good coaches can be pushed one step beyond where they belong, and why the Packers’ constant promotion-from-within approach has created stagnation.

💰 The money problem no one wants to talk about

Wilde references a detailed piece by Justice Mosqueda that exposed just how cheap the Packers have been with assistant coaches:

Limited outside experience

Minimal staff turnover

A reluctance to pay for proven voices

He notes that offensively, the most experienced non-LaFleur coach on the staff spent four years with the St. Louis Rams — a stunning lack of NFL diversity in experience.

Wilde argues this isn’t just a coaching issue — it’s an organizational philosophy that must change if the Packers want to compete at the highest level.

🧠 The extension doesn’t guarantee anything

If LaFleur signs an extension, Wilde believes it likely adds two years, not a full long-term commitment. That guarantees money — not job security.

If things go sideways in 2026, the Packers can still fire him and eat the money. And Wilde says fans should actually feel good if team president Ed Policy ignores the loudest voices and makes decisions based on internal evaluation — not bar-stool anger.

“I don’t want someone making decisions based on what fans are clamoring for,” Wilde says.

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⚖️ The uncomfortable truth

Wilde closes with a balanced but firm conclusion:

LaFleur deserves criticism

He also deserves context

Firing him doesn’t solve staff quality, money, or structural issues

If the Packers want to truly evolve, it won’t come from a new head coach alone — it will come from paying for better ideas, better assistants, and less comfort.

🎧 A thoughtful, nuanced, and necessary Packers conversation — only with Jason Wilde on Jen, Gabe & Chewy.

Packers, Green Bay Packers, Jason Wilde, Matt LaFleur, Packers coaching future, Packers assistants, Packers cheap reputation, Justice Mosqueda, Packers front office, Packers offseason, ESPN Milwaukee, Jen Gabe and Chewy

Packers reporter Jason Wilde joins The Homer Hour to tackle the biggest coaching questions facing Green Bay. Are things trending toward Matt LaFleur returning next season, and if the Packers believe he’s their guy, is there any urgency to get an extension done? The conversation also turns to whether John Harbaugh would be a better fit in Green Bay right now, where LaFleur stacks up among the NFL’s top coaches, and if a two-year extension would truly secure LaFleur’s job for the long haul.

Jason Wilde joins Jim & Molly to continue the conversation about the end of the Green Bay Packers' season at the hands of the division-rival Bears in the playoffs! Jason pushes back against Jim's take from Monday that Jordan Love was "insignificant" in the 2nd half of the loss, and why it doesn't feel like the loss will cost Matt LaFleur his job anymore. They also discuss the other hot candidates on the head coaching market like John Harbaugh and Mike Tomin as well as the Packers' trend of offering a small salary pool for assistants. Why does he have a hard time seeing Ed Policy hiring Harbaugh to work with Gutey, and where is Jeff Hafley's stock after giving up 25 points in the 4th quarter?