Matt LaFleur is a good coach, but he is not quite great or elite yet. Bleacher Report went through the ten best coaches in the NFL before the 2026 season, and the Green Bay Packers head coach was not included on the list.
This puts the Packers in a tough spot because LaFleur is obviously not a bad coach. His record is 76-40-1 in his seven years with the Packers. He has just one season with a record below .500 and one season with a team that did not make the playoffs. That was the year they transitioned their quarterback position as well.
So, when LaFleur is your head coach, you are going to win more than lose. It is hard to put him anywhere below the 16th or 15th best coach. However, if he is outside the top ten, that would mean he has to land right between 11th and 14th. That is a good spot to be in, but not great if you want your coach to take you over the top and into Super Bowl discussions.
So, the Packers are in a spot where LaFleur is too good to move on from, but not good enough to get over the hump with.
Matt LaFleur is Missing a Playoff Resume Other Coaches Have
GettyHead coach Matt LaFleur
When you look at the ten names ahead of him on this list, it is clear what the difference is between the names. These ten coaches have immense levels of playoff success that LaFleur does not have.
As things stand, LaFleur is 3-6 in the playoffs. His two wins came in his first two years with Aaron Rodgers. Since Rodgers left, he is 1-3.
When looking at the names above him, five of the top six names have won a Super Bowl. The only name in the top six not to win it is Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan has had fourth-quarter leads in two Super Bowls as a head coach. Until LaFleur wins more, he cannot join the top six.
Seventh is Mike Vrabel, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance and a 5-4 playoff record. Dan Campbell is just 2-2 in the playoffs, but that is slightly better than LaFleur’s in his last four. He also has an NFC Championship game appearance more recently. Jim Harbaugh is 5-5 in the playoffs but also has won an NFC Championship game.
Lastly is DeMeco Ryans, who is 3-3 in the playoffs over the past three years. All of them have better resumes than LaFleur in the big moments right now.
The Green Bay Packers Need To Get Over The Playoff Hump
The thought was that they could get over the hump last year after trading for Micah Parsons. However, Parsons suffered a season-ending injury late in the year, and the team lost four straight to close things out. That includes a playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.
So, in the year when many thought LaFleur needed a playoff win to maintain his status, he saw his group sputter to the finish. That will cause you to fall out of the top ten in any ranking. Still, he is one playoff run away from being right back in the mix.
Latest Ranking Exposes Packers’ Biggest Problem