Jeff Hafley’s hiring by the Miami Dolphins left the Green Bay Packers without a defensive coordinator. Matt LaFleur hasn’t found his new man yet, but they’re deep in the interview process, searching for some of the best defensive minds in the NFL.
While the Packers defense wasn’t one of the worst in the league this season, it wasn’t one of the best either. So, there’s space to improve for 2026. The hiring decision will be an important one for Green Bay’s future.
Top 5 Potential Candidates to Replace Jeff Hafley at the Green Bay Packers
#5 Brian Flores
Flores seems to be one of the hottest commodities in the coaching market at the moment. Bringing him to Green Bay would be a great hire for the Packers, with him bringing plenty of experience as a defensive coordinator and a head coach. His Vikings ranked as the third-best defense in the NFL this season. The problem? He’s the frontrunner for several head coaching vacancies, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.
#4 Al Harris
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Harris would be an incredibly popular pick with the Green Bay Packers fanbase. He made a name for himself in the 2000s while playing for the team, earning an induction into the team’s Hall of Fame, an All-Pro selection (2007), and a couple of Pro Bowl selections (2007, 2008).
Getting him into the program would also be a victory over the Packers’ rivals, the Chicago Bears, for whom Al Harris currently works as defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. He has already had an interview with the team.
#3 Christian Parker
Christian Parker is a rising defensive mind in the NFL. He’s currently the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, and was part of their staff during the Super Bowl LIX win.
Before that, he was a defensive backs coach for the Denver Broncos (2021-2023) and a defensive quality control coach for Green Bay (2019-2020). That last point means he already knows how the franchise works, and it was his first NFL job, courtesy of Matt LaFleur. He already landed an interview invite.
#2 Raheem Morris
If Matt LaFleur wants the most experienced candidate, few can offer as much as Raheem Morris. The now former Atlanta Falcons (2020, 2024-2025) head coach has had a stint as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-2011), too, and stints as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams (2021-2023), the Falcons (2020), and FBS school Kansas State (2006).
He has been part of two Super Bowl-winning staffs, Super Bowl XXXVII and Super Bowl LVI.
#1 Jim Leonhard
The fact that Jim Leonhard has never played or worked for the Green Bay Packers feels wrong. After all, he was born some three hours away, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Over the last two seasons, he has worked with the Denver Broncos, one of his former NFL teams, to turn their defense into one of the best in the league (second-best in 2025).
This season, he was the team’s assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Last year, he was the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. He seems truly ready for the next step.
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