Questions swirled about the future of Packers coach Matt LaFleur in the days leading up to the wild-card opener. Before the game, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said the Packers planned to discuss an extension with LaFleur after the season ended.
Then the season ended in a 30-minute thud. The Packers blew a 21-3 halftime lead to the Bears, losing to Chicago, 31-27.
After the game, LaFleur was asked about his future with the team, given that his contract expires after 2026.
“Yeah, with all due respect to your question,” LaFleur said, “now is not the time for that. I mean, I’m just hurting for these guys. You know, I can only think about what just happened, and there will be time for that.”
The subject came up later during the post-match press conference.
“I’m not going to address that right now,” LaFleur said. “Sure, now’s not the time. I mean, whatever.”
LaFleur made it clear he wanted to stay. When asked what being the Packers coach means to him, LaFleur replied: “It means everything to me. It’s the greatest organization in the world, in my opinion.”
He also acknowledged that Saturday night’s defeat “is going to hurt very, very hard for a long, long time.” This applies no matter what happens next for him.
