The Green Bay Packers found their way into the playoffs once again in 2025, but for the second straight year, they were quickly eliminated in the wild-card round. As a result, some changes are being made to the team’s coaching staff, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where the team has been forced to replace defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley after he got hired to be the Miami Dolphins‘ new head coach.
On Monday, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was officially hired to be Hafley’s replacement at defensive coordinator, meaning that more changes are likely coming for the defensive coaching staff. Case in point, reports indicate that the Packers are set to lose defensive pass game coordinator, Derrick Ansley, to the Dallas Cowboys.
Derrick Ansley Gets Hired by Cowboys
Before Green Bay, was defensive coordinator for the Chargers. Has also been a college defensive coordinator at Tennessee and worked for other teams like Alabama
With Hafley leaving and Gannon coming in, there’s going to be quite a bit of turnover when it comes to Green Bay’s defensive coaching staff. Not only is Hafley going to take some of the Packers’ coaches with him, but Gannon is going to look to bring his own guys to town to help him keep the team’s defense in tip-top shape.
One guy whose future with the Packers has been a big question mark as of late is Ansley’s, as he never appeared to be in contention to follow Hafley to Miami. The problem for him, though, is that there’s no guarantee there’d be a spot for him on Gannon’s staff with Green Bay anymore, which forced him to begin looking for a new job somewhere else across the league.
The good news for Hafley is that he has managed to latch on with another team. The Cowboys, who recently hired a new defensive coordinator in former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back coach and pass game coordinator Christian Parker, are reportedly set to hire Ansley in an undisclosed defensive role.
“The Cowboys are expected to hire Packers defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley, sources tell CBS Sports,” Matt Zenitz reported in a post on X. “Before Green Bay, was defensive coordinator for the Chargers. Has also been a college defensive coordinator at Tennessee and worked for other teams like Alabama and the Raiders.”
Packers Still Have Work to Do with Their Coaching Staff
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 10: Kaylee Hartung interviews head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
All this turnover may seem like it creates problems for LaFleur and the rest of his coaching staff, but there’s a decent chance Ansley wouldn’t have been sticking around, which is why he bolted for the Cowboys. It does mean that the coaching staff will have several new spots to fill, but both LaFleur and Gannon are well-connected across the league, which should make finding replacements for these guys a bit easier than it would be for other staffs.
Once Green Bay gets its coaching staff figured out, it will turn its attention to free agency, where it will look to spend some money to make some upgrades to its roster. Getting a strong foundation set in place with the coaching staff is an important first step, though, and all eyes will be on the Packers to see how they replace their outgoing coaches.
Packers Coach Leaving Green Bay for New Job with NFC Rival