Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on before a game against the Chicago Bears in December 2022.
Several units across the Green Bay Packers‘ roster have let the organization down this season, but not all failures are created equal.
While Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ sputtering passing attack catch a lot of the flak publicly, NFL insiders actually see the defense’s lack of performance as the larger and more urgent issue. According to Mina Kimes of ESPN, that starts with defensive coordinator Joe Barry.
Kimes appeared on the most recent version of the podcast Intercepted, which is produced by SB Nation’s Acme Packing Co. When asked by host Justis Mosqueda what Green Bay needs to do to fix its problems over the offseason, Kimes didn’t even mention Barry’s name specifically. Instead, she gave a response that indicated his firing is already a foregone conclusion.
“You gotta hire a new defensive coach hoping that can turn around some of these issues on defense,” Kimes said on Friday, December 16. “There’s enough talent on that side of the ball where you think it can’t be this bad. Then be very targeted in [their] signings on that side of the ball to try to shore up some of the issues.”
Packers Defense Underachieving in 2022 After Expensive Offseason
GettyDefensive Coordinator Joe Barry of the Green Bay Packers looks on during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
Mosqueda added that Green Bay doesn’t just have a great defense on paper, but they’re paying for one that is seriously underperforming.
Over the offseason the Packers signed cornerback Jaire Alexander to a four-year, $84 million contract, inked linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to a five-year deal worth $50 million and brought back pass rusher Preston Smith on a contract valued at $52.5 million over the next four seasons. Meanwhile, the team is paying edge rusher Za’Darius Smith more than eight figures in 2022 to have a monster season for the rival Minnesota Vikings.
“They have the second highest paid defense in the entire sport in terms of cash flow and, like, everyone who’s playing is a first-round pick,” Mosqueda said. “They should not be this bad.”
Green Bay has been particularly atrocious against the run, allowing a whopping five yards per carry and 154.8 yards per game on the ground through 13 contests in 2022. That mark is nearly 46 rushing yards per game worse than the defense surrendered last season, per NFL.com.
While the Packers’ pass defense remains solid, the team’s total defensive numbers are on pace to dip 20 yards per game year-over-year. The turnover tally will also drop by either six or seven total TOs based on extrapolated statistical averages, according to information provided by the Packers official team website.
Packers Eyeing Former UW Interim Head Coach Jim Leonhard For DC Job
GettyFormer interim head coach Jim Leonhard of the Wisconsin Badgers before a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Barry joined the Packers in February of 2021 and is in his second season with the team. However, he was never the top candidate for the job.
Long-time University of Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who lead that team to a 4-3 record as interim head coach this season, was the Packers’ first choice before he decided to return to his position with the Badgers.
“Jim Leonhard,” Mosqueda said Friday. “We are on full-blown Jim Leonhard watch.”
Leonhard and Wisconsin chose earlier this month to part ways following the team’s bowl game against Oklahoma State on December 27, a decision the coach announced via his Twitter account a little more than one week ago.
On Wisconsin!
“It has meant the world to me to be able to pour my heart and soul into the UW Football program over the last 7 years,” Leonhard tweeted on December 6. “After discussions with my family and Coach Fickell, I will remain the DC through the bowl game but no longer be a part of the staff after the conclusion of the 2022 season. It has been an honor to coach these young men and thank you to all the fans who supported us along the way. On Wisconsin!”
It could be another position at the collegiate level that ultimately entices Leonhard. However, his announcement has fueled reasonable speculation that Leonhard may be ready to jump into a defensive coordinator position at the NFL level, specifically with the Packers in 2023.