After the Green Bay Packers started the season 1-2 there have been plenty of calls for the team to fire head coach Matt LaFleur. Given that former Super Bowl-winning and freshly retired head coach Mike Tomlin is often in the headlines due to his new gig on television, it is easy to put his name on the short list of potential candidates to replace LaFleur.
Peter Bukowski of the Locked on Packers Podcast did not quite go as far as calling for the job of LaFleur. However, he did suggest the Packers look into the idea of Tomlin.
“Look, I’m not ready to fire Matt LaFleur … but I’d at least be interested to know who Mike Tomlin would bring as his OC,” tweeted Bukowski.
Tomlin has been known as a leader of men and a culture changer, which is what the Packers need right now. However, as Bukowski mentions, Tomlin does not call plays. So, going from LaFleur, who runs the offense, to Tomlin, who would have to pick a coordinator, is a valid concern.
Calls for Green Bay Packers to Explore Head Coach Mike Tomlin
LaFleur entered the year on a lukewarm seat, but things have gotten a lot hotter in the first three weeks of the season.
The Packers started hot with LaFleur, winning 13 games in three straight years. However, that was with Aaron Rodgers leading the way. The Packers went 8-9 with Rodgers, and they moved on from him. LaFleur has done well with Jordan Love, but has not reached the same heights as they did with Rodgers.
They went 9-8 in their first year and won a playoff game. However, despite going 11-6 the following year, they lost their first playoff game. Green Bay came out firing in 2025, starting the year 9-3-1. However, injuries saw the Packers fall apart and lose out.
They lost Week 1 to the division rival Minnesota Vikings. They won in Week 2 due to an overtime comeback. Then, they got embarrassed in Week 3. It is easy to see why calls for LaFleur to be fired and Tomlin hired are popping up.
Tomlin is an Option for the Packers
Tomlin is currently working with NBC on their Sunday Night Football coverage. He recently told Chris Collinsworth that he is not against returning to the NFL to coach, though. Tomlin left the Steelers for a similar reason to the Packers wanting to move on from LaFleur. Things got stale. The big difference is that Tomlin got his team over the hump at one point in his career, while LaFleur never did.
Still, despite the Steelers making the playoffs in five of his last six years as an NFL head coach, he lost all five of those games. He has lost his last seven playoff games. More than that, there have been questions about his offensive coordinator decisions.
From Randy Fichtner to Matt Canada, and then Arthur Smith, Tomlin has failed to get the coordinator hire correct. So, despite his resume being better than LaFleur’s and being available, he is not a guaranteed upgrade.
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