Meyer’s Firing Shows Value of LaFleur
GREEN BAY, Wis. – NFL coaching contracts generally aren’t public knowledge. Nonetheless, the Green Bay Packers have one heck of a bargain in Matt LaFleur.
Especially when juxtaposed with disgraced former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer.
LaFleur reportedly is making $5 million per season on his four-year contract. Hired in 2019, his record is a robust 36-9 heading into Sunday’s game at the Baltimore Ravens He’s well on his way to leading the Packers to a third NFC North championship in three seasons and has his team positioned to take the next steps after losing back-to-back NFC title games to start his tenure.
Meyer, meanwhile, received a six-year contract reportedly worth between $10 million and $12 million per season to resurrect the Jaguars. The Meyer era – or, make that the Meyer error – came to an abrupt halt with his firing on Wednesday night. His record? A woeful 2-11.
So, LaFleur has lost fewer games in three seasons than Meyer lost in his one.
Or, let’s put it another way. Just for easy math, let’s say the Packers win three of their final four games to finish 13-4. That would give LaFleur three consecutive 13-win seasons. That works out to $384,615 per victory. At the conservative $10 million average, Meyer’s average is $5 million per victory.
However, coaching contracts are guaranteed, so the Jaguars are on the hook for whatever he’s owed the next five seasons. So, at a conservative six-year total of $60 million, Meyer will have pocketed $30 million per victory. If LaFleur’s contract indeed was for four years and $20 million, and if he were to somehow lose his final four games of this season and all 17 games next season, his 36 wins would be worth $555,555 apiece.
“The best thing that he’s brought is his ability to listen,” receiver Davante Adams said on Wednesday. “We’ve had really good conversations. He trusts my input a lot, so it makes me feel good as a player, it makes me feel good about the studying that I do. It makes me want to dive into my stuff better because I know it’s not all for nothing. There’s a lot of guys with great input out there but you can have a head coach who says, ‘Hey, however I say is how we’re going to do it and how we’re going to rock.’ But he’s real open and receptive to my input.”
LaFleur’s 36 wins are second-most in NFL history for a coach in his three seasons. George Seifert won 38 games in his first three seasons with San Francisco in 1989, 1990 and 1991. LaFleur would beat that number by going 3-1 down the stretch.
With a win on Sunday, LaFleur would become the third coach in NFL history to win 11-plus games in each of his first three seasons. The others are Jim Harbaugh (San Francisco, 2011-13) and Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis, 2012-14).
LaFleur’s success shows the flashy name isn’t always the best candidate. LaFleur arrived in Green Bay a somewhat controversial choice because of his limited resume, but team president Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst knocked it out of the park. Meyer did nothing but win at Florida and Ohio State, with three national championships on his resume, but proved to be incompetent in the NFL.
"After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone," Jaguars own Shad Khan said in a statement. "I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen."
