There are a lot of angry Green Bay Packers fans following the team's 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card game. The Packers had dominated the game int he first half, going up and down the field with little trouble, and quarterback Jordan Love was tearing up the Chicago defense. Green Bay went into the locker room with a 21-3 lead.
However, when the two teams emerged for the second half, it was as if they had exchanged uniforms. The Bears defense rose up, forcing three 3 and outs in Green Bay's first four possessions, and the tone of the game changed dramatically.
The Packers needed to figure something out to get their offense untracked, but they were not able to do much in the second half other than one Love TD pass to rookie Matthew Golden. While the Packers offense was starting to snooze, the Bears and Caleb Williams were coming to life.
Chicago was able to move the ball fairly well in the third quarter, but the Packers surrendered just one field goal. However, the Bears were on fire in the final 15 minutes. They scored 25 points and secured a shocking victory when Williams hit WR D.J. Moore with the game-winning TD pass.
Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur left Soldier Field wearing a very painful defeat. It could cost him his job.
Packers made errors as Bears turned up the intensity
Green Bay was guilty of both predictable and inefficient play in the second half, and that is LaFleur's responsibility. The Packers tried to run the ball on the majority of their first-down plays after halftime, and that worked well for the Bears. Those attempts were easily rebuffed by Chicago.
Later in the second half, the Packers were forced to call timeouts because they could not set up quickly enough or the play call would not have worked. After one of those timeouts, the Packers were whistled for delay of game.
These issues hurt the Packer and LaFleur may have to pay for that.
Coaching change may be warranted
Angry fans may want a coaching change, and Packers management may also have similar feelings. The Packers ended the season by losing their last five games — four in the regular season — and they ended up as the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs.
If Packers team president and CEO Ed Policy decides to make a change at the head coaching slot, the Packers may be able to attract some of the top coaches available.
John Harbaugh would almost certainly be the No. 1 choice. He was fired by the Baltimore Ravens after that perennial AFC power failed to make the playoffs.
Harbaugh spent 18 years at the helm of the Ravens and he is one of the most respected head coaches in the NFL. If he wants to coach in the 2026 season, he almost certainly could have his choice of positions.
The Packers job would certainly get his attention. The Packers have a dynamic quarterback in Jordan Love and the defense is led by Micah Parsons, who will most likely be healthy at the start of next season. His season when he tore his ACL in a late-season loss to the Denver Broncos.
Harbaugh, 63, has not issued a statement on whether he wants to coach next season, but his leadership, strength and record of achievement would make him a fantastic candidate.
He has been coaching since 1984, starting off as a 22-year-old assistant at Western Michigan and remaining as a college coach through 1997. He served as a special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach (in his final year) with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1998 through 2007 before he was hired by the Ravens in 2008.
Another opportunity for Robert Saleh
Robert Saleh is riding high as the San Francisco 49ers are moving on to the divisional playoffs after registering a 23-19 upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Saleh is the defensive coordinator of the 49ers, a position he has had on multiple occasions. He was the Niners defensive coordinator from 2017 through 2020 before he was hired as head coach of the New York Jets. He lasted 3-plus seasons in that position before he was fired after 5 games in the 2024 season.
Saleh is an enthusiastic and well-meaning leader who clearly has great skills at building a top defense.
Players enjoy playing for him and he would seemingly have much better personnel to work with in Green Bay than he did with the Jets.
If the Packers decide to fire LaFleur and can't get Harbaugh or Saleh, the next choice could be Klint Kubiak. The offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks has had an excellent season working with head coach Mike Macdonald.
Kubiak, 38, has collaborated with Seahawks Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. These two have formed one of the most dangerous QB-WR combinations in the league and Kubiak is an excellent playcaller.
Kubiak has served as offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and the Seahawks. He also coached with the Denver Broncos and 49ers.
