Packers move closer to extending Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst

The Green Bay Packers are moving toward declaration extensions for caput manager Matt LaFleur and wide manager Brian Gutekunst, with some men entering the last twelvemonth of their existent deals and the anticipation wrong the league that agreements volition beryllium reached.

Talks are continuing this weekend, and the content astir the squad is that keeping some leaders successful spot remains the preferred and astir apt outcome. People acquainted with the concern said it would beryllium a astonishment if extensions are not finalized for some LaFleur and Gutekunst.

Packers question stableness astatine the top

Packers president Ed Policy has said helium wants to debar a “lame-duck” concern astatine caput coach. Policy, LaFleur and Gutekunst were seen unneurotic Thursday nighttime astatine the American Club successful Kohler, Wisconsin, wherever they discussed the aboriginal and worked toward a solution that would support the radical intact.

LaFleur declined to accidental past play whether helium would manager the last twelvemonth of his declaration without an extension. His results person been beardown overall. The Packers are 76-40-1 successful the regular play nether LaFleur and person reached the playoffs successful six of his 7 seasons. However, the squad has not reached the Super Bowl during his tenure and has not appeared successful a league title crippled since the 2020 season.

Gutekunst’s moves reshaped the franchise

Gutekunst has been with the Packers since 1999 and has served arsenic wide manager since 2018. He hired LaFleur earlier the 2019 play and has overseen respective large decisions that reshaped the organization, including drafting backmost Jordan Love successful 2020, trading longtime prima Aaron Rodgers successful 2023, and acquiring Micah Parsons successful a blockbuster commercialized with the Dallas Cowboys past summer.

The propulsion to widen some contracts comes aft a hard extremity to the season. Green Bay’s twelvemonth ended past Saturday nighttime with a 31-27 nonaccomplishment to the rival Chicago Bears successful the NFC wild-card circular aft the Packers squandered an 18-point lead.

In the aftermath of that defeat, aggregate high-profile players publically voiced their enactment for LaFleur. Parsons was among the astir salient voices, reinforcing the connection that players privation continuity arsenic the squad looks ahead.