The Green Bay Packers hired Jeff Hafley as their defensive coordinator in 2024, turning to the former Boston College head coach to bring change and stabilization to a unit that needed both things desperately.
Hafley has done just that, serving as the architect of one of the league’s best defenses.
Now, the Packers DC has emerged as a legit name in the 2026 NFL head-coaching cycle, with reports linking him to five different job openings: the Tennessee Titans (an interview scheduled for Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero) plus the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Miami Dolphins, all of whom have been reported to have requested and/or scheduled head coach interviews with Hafley, per NBC Sports.
If Hafley gets a new gig as a head coach, the Packers will obviously need to replace him — and in doing so, they could poach from the staff of the rival Chicago Bears while also bringing a familiar face back to Green Bay.
The Packers Could Steal Al Harris Away from Chicago Bears If DC Jeff Hafley Leaves
GettyIf Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley gets a head coaching gig, Bears DBs coach Al Harris would make loads of sense as his replacement.
The Bears hired Harris in 2025 to be their defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. Prior to coming to the Windy City, Harris led Dallas’ secondary from 2020 until 2024, also carrying an assistant head coach title in 2024.
“I don’t think he’s leaving, but it’s fair to wonder if someone is going to tap him on the shoulder and say, would you like to be our defensive coordinator? For example, if Jeff Halfley gets one of these head coaching jobs, wouldn’t he be the logical person to bring in to help Green Bay, especially now that Trevon Diggs is up there?,” 670 The Score’s Laurence Holmes said on the January 6 episode of his “House of L” podcast, adding:
“He (Harris) would be the logical person to put in that role. But that’s jumping ahead. I only say that to say he’s gotten a lot of trust from fans of this team, from players on this team, from the other coaches on the staff, and from football at large.”
The Packers added Diggs late in the regular season after his release from the Cowboys. Harris served as his DBs coach during Diggs’ All-Pro campaign in 2021, when he led the NFL in interceptions with 11.
Hiring Harris to get the most out of Diggs and a group of DBs that also includes talented safety Xavier McKinney would make sense on multiple levels. It would also take a talented coach away from a top rival.
Could Packers Promote From Within If Hafley Leaves?
“I fully anticipate him getting one of these,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday.
That’s certainly a possibility. Ryan Downard is the current defensive backs coach under Hafley, but Harris would be a different kind of addition.
Harris, who spent seven seasons in green and gold, is a franchise legend with solid coaching chops and a long track record running secondaries. He’s never been a defensive coordinator, but he remains an intriguing option if Hafley were to leave.
Harris is also enshrined in the Packers Hall of Fame, which tells you how the organization views his legacy.
If Hafley were to get a new job, don’t be surprised if Green Bay looks at a familiar face to replace him.
Packers Could Poach Key Bears Coach to Replace Jeff Hafley