Some believe Matt LaFleur might be coaching for his job against the Bears

Green Bay might have more on the line than just their shot at a Lombardi Trophy on Saturday night in Chicago. Some believe Packers' head coach Matt LaFleur might be coaching for his job if they have an uninspiring performance in the Wild Card round.

Don't want to take my word for it? How about the word of ESPN reporter Rob Demovsky, who is more plugged in than virtually anyone covering the team? When asked about LaFleur's job status if Green Bay loses big on the CHGO Bears podcast earlier today, Demovsky didn't hold back.

Yeah, sure I 100% do [think LaFleur could be on the hot seat] for a lot of reasons, and the number one reason is that they have a new team president, Ed Policy, who replaced Mark Murphy, who retired over the summer. We obviously asked about the coach and GM contracts, and he said two things. One, I'm not doing any extensions now, and two, I don't believe in lame duck coaches.
ESPN Reporter Rob Demovsky

This isn't a recent development, either. Matt Schneidman, who writes about the Packers for The Athletic, echoed a similar sentiment as far back as two months ago. That was well before the wheels were even close to falling off, as well.

Matt LaFleur might be coaching for his job the rest of the season.

My column: https://t.co/318KHNHm04 pic.twitter.com/itZoZCmt7u
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 11, 2025

It's not hard to see where they're coming from. LaFleur is about to be a lame duck head coach, as he is now entering the final year of his deal. Based on his previous stance on the situation, it feels safe to assume Policy wouldn't want to go into next season under LaFleur's current contract. Doing so could create a sense of desperation, and that's not exactly the vibe you want for the guy at the front of the room.

If Green Bay loses, they have a decision to make. Does Policy decide to resign the coach who led his team to a 9-8-1 record? Or does he rip the band-aid off and attempt to start fresh in this coaching cycle?

Personally, I think it depends on how bad the loss would be. If they get walloped by Chicago, I could very well see them cutting the cord. Even on the road, that would be an embarrassing way to go out in a season that they previously showed so much promise.

With that said, if they lose a hard-fought game, I still think the odds are significantly greater than zero. They would have lost five games in a row to end the season. I know Micah Parsons' injury played a major role in their struggles, but do you think he would get the benefit of the doubt for it? Because I don't.

What does it mean for the Bears?

It means they might get a two-for-one. They can get the monkey off their backs by knocking their hated division rival out of the playoffs and getting the head coach who has a 12-2 record against them fired in one fell swoop.

Make no mistake, the Packers aren't the only ones with a lot at stake, even beyond the opportunity of moving on to the Divisional Round. In an alternate reality, this season would be considered an unbelievable success just getting this far. They could've gotten smacked in the mouth by the 49ers or Rams in the Wild Card round, and the season would still be a net positive. They were the second seed in the NFC, showed they can hang with any team in the league, and landed one of the NFL's best head coaches.

However, in this reality, being knocked out of the playoffs by the Packers would sting.

It would be a very long offseason, and the monkey would still very much be on their backs. Even in their most promising season in seven years, the Packers have proven to be the better team.

Everything they accomplished this year would still be a positive omen for the future. They would still have their head coach and QB of the future, they would still have one of the league's best offensive lines, and a lot of young talent. However, it would probably take a few weeks for most to recover.

It would take even longer to look at the bigger picture and realize the sky isn't falling.

Say what you will about LaFleur (and I for one have said plenty), but he's a good coach. He may be an absolute thin-skinned, yellow-bellied, crybaby, but there's a reason Green Bay has made the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons at the helm, and it's not just because he was riding Aaron Rodgers coattails for his first three years (although that certainly didn't hurt).

It would honestly be somewhat disappointing to see the Ben Johnson/Matt LaFleur rivalry end after only two games. I think it'd be well worth it in the long run, though.

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