Only two active NFL head coaches currently have a better win percentage than Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni (.702) and Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott (.660) are some pretty good company to be in for LaFleur, who has a .659 win percentage with six winning seasons, six playoff appearances, and three division titles in seven years.
But despite his 76-39-1 career record, including three straight 13-win seasons to start his coaching career, LaFleur’s job security isn’t as strong as some would assume, and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer said as much on “Fox NFL Sunday” ahead of Week 18.
LaFleur May Be Coaching for His Job
GettyPackers head coach Matt LaFleur
Glazer was asked about which head coaches will likely be fired, which are safe, and who’s on the hot seat.
The longtime NFL insider reported that Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts, and Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals were all at no risk of being fired.
He emphatically stated Pete Carroll of the Las Vegas Raiders and Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns were on their way out the door.
But when he got to the hot seat candidates, Glazer included LaFleur in the group of HCs who should be a little worried.
“You’re talking Matt LaFleur also,” Glazer said. “Why is he on [the hot seat]? Matt LaFleur’s job security has been questioned weekly at his press conferences. It would be crazy to move on from a guy like that, but he’s still [on the hot seat].”
Along with LaFleur, Glazer stated John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons, Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins, Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals, and Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could all be in jeopardy.
What LaFleur Has Said About His Job Security
As Glazer pointed out, LaFleur being on the hot seat is nothing new.
In fact, he was asked about whether or not he feels he could be fired at any point this year, and he gave a pretty candid answer.
“I’ll leave that for everybody else to decide,” LaFleur told reporters when asked about his job security a month ago. “I’ll just focus on the day-to-day and trying to do my job. I feel like you’re always coaching for everything in this league.
“That’s just my mindset. It’s always been that way. You can’t ever exhale. You’ve always got to be pushing. That will be my mindset until they tell me not to coach anymore.”
The speculation surrounding LaFleur isn’t lost on the Packers players either. And while he may truly be on the hot seat if Green Bay, which is the No. 7 seed in the NFC, goes one-and-done in the playoffs, his players seem to have his back.
“I’ve got a lot of trust in Matt,” Love said. “That’s something that’s not wavering at all. I’ve been with Matt since I got here. I know exactly what he’s capable of and what the whole staff’s capable of.
“So that’s not anything that’s wavering. Like I said, it just comes back to all of us — players, coaches, everybody — finding a way to improve and get better.”
NFL Insider Doesn’t Rule Out Packers Firing Head Coach Matt LaFleur