It was like he was running on a hamster wheel, McDaniel said. Despite being from Michigan, he hated the cold (he cops to being soft), and Green Bay is a rough spot to feel that way. If Rodgers was ticked off at LaFleur, hed get frustrated and stew. Its so cool, he said, to see your entire friend group rise up in your profession with you. The wedding story starts where all LaFleur stories do: with the coach trying to give everyone space to be themselves. But we were getting a lot of positive cases. Mike Shanahan told me what was unusual about the group was not just how late they stayed, after arriving before 6 a.m. to work out, but also that they wanted to understand every single position. Dillon. Its not about credentials at that point. After four years in Washington, a brief stop at Notre Dame, and a move to Atlanta with Kyle Shanahan, LaFleur was a no-brainer hire to be McVays first offensive coordinator in Los Angeles in 2017. Despite social, political, and existential crises, the foundation of my Catholic identity held firm. Tight end is an even greater need. He's going to be the guy in the huddle and he's got to be an extension of us. Hes not confrontational, but hes not afraid of conflict, McDaniel said. The spring transfer period in college football closed Sunday night with 43 scholarship players -- the equivalent of half a roster -- from Sanders' program having entered the portal since more than 40,000 fans showed up at Folsom Field in Boulder for Colorado's spring game on April 15. They have this really cool working relationship thats two competitors who can really find a common ground to get things done. No, he said. I said, Listen, Im not going to wear you out, LaFleur says. Rodgers was messing around with me quite a bit, LaFleur says. And when the Packers lost to the Chiefs 13-7 in November with Rodgers absent because of COVID-19 protocols, LaFleur took the blame again. LaFleur and Rodgers operate as part millennial Vince LombardiBart Starr and part bickering old married coupleif the old married couple won 80 percent of their football games and designed an offense that combined classic Shanahan-McVay principles with Rodgerss ability to lay waste to entire Midwestern cities. Daily. He has a calmness to him, Murphy said. I definitely spent my time on the sticks, he says. He watched Ryan Tannehill throw it as well as anyone in the league. That move could lead to the exit of free agent Mason Crosby, who has a franchise-record 1,918 career points over 17 seasons. He creates an environment where he gets all the fluff out of the way and all that matters is studying the tape and getting the most out of players every single day.. So hes like, Whatever, Im not gonna concern myself with the trivial nature of getting mad. He just wants to know the answer.. Its still tricky for him, he said. Its also a reason Rodgers was voted the leagues most valuable player the last two years. He asked Rodgers about him again this January. I liked to be coached. I hope my kids want toif this is what they want to do. Adams is an impossible player to replace, someone capable of lining up in the slot or out wide, and catching passes all over the fieldlast season he had double-digit receptions behind the line of scrimmage, within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, 10-19 yards deep, and then 20-plus yards deep; and according to Pro Football Focus, over the past two seasons, when Adams was in single coverage, passes to him registered a 129.6 passer rating. Our football philosophies kind of developed together.. The league reflects their image now and they are having a great time with it. A good relationshipone where each person erases the others mistakes and both make each other bettercan win you a Super Bowl. On the third-and-goal play from the 8 before the field goal, Rodgers threw an incompletion to Davante Adams instead of trying to run even though he appeared to have space. McDaniel explained that in 2009, the Texans let him go after he overslept for a handful of meetings. Some of the leaders didnt think it was in the teams best interests and told LaFleur a day off their feet would be more beneficial. Matt LaFleur is one of the youngest coaches to lead an NFL team, and he put together an impressive season in 2020! He was a joy to coach, not only a great player but a great person, a great competitor and leader on our football team. But I feel like I have to get him on the record: Why doesnt he get enough credit? Although the Packers could take a running back in the late rounds, its not a need. We got to see that early on from Matty.. I thought my dad had the coolest job in the world when he was DBs coach at Central Michigan.. I know he was taking a lot of heat. Hes getting all this credibility for being a handsome, good-looking coach. Take the emotion out of it, and be able to have an honest conversation without being triggered or sensitive by what was said. LaFleur began considering one of his new assistants more than a year ago when he asked Rodgers about Tom Clements, who had been an assistant with the Packers for 11 years of Rodgers career before LaFleurs arrival. Kyle and Matt were huge mentors of mine. The only issue was Rodgers was in the middle of a cleanse. With all eyes on Jordan Love leading the franchise, head coach Matt LaFleur is backing his new QB1. Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy spoke with Larry McCarren at the NFL Annual Meetings in Phoenix. On March 5, the world was still awaiting confirmation that the NFLs reigning most valuable player planned to return to Green Bay. Packers' Matt LaFleur leads with grace through Aaron Rodgers' COVID-19 People have to make the best decision for themselves. He didnt care how it affected him, he just wanted to do what he thought was right., In the beginning, there was Bill Walsh College Football. The most recent tight end the Packers picked in the first round was Miamis Bubba Franks, who went 14th overall in 2000. LaFleur has won two playoff games as a head coach but has yet to lead his team to a Super Bowlthis despite earning a first-round playoff bye in each of his three seasons. For others, they are growth experiences. I was learning from him, not the other way around, McVay said of LaFleur. Green Bay needed someone to add depth to the quarterback spot behind Love and while Clifford may not have been the ideal selection then, the Packers see something in him that might serve him well as a backup. The Packers drafted Auburn kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round on Saturday. The Packers played in Green Bay last Christmas Day. But right now, Aaron Rodgers needs me to understand something: that he trolls LaFleur constantly. Hourly. And until he started getting all that positive deal about what a hot coach he was, now hes finally letting somebody else cut his hair. LaFleur has confirmed this bombshell. Matt LaFleur: 'We did not take advantage of certain opportunities' When LaFleur worked for Dan Quinn on the Falcons in 2015 and 16, Quinn had three rules. Rodgers asked if he could speak with Clements first, and he subsequently began the recruiting process. Can we take some motion off to get some tempo practice? And he can say yes without being sensitive, Rodgers says. Now, heres the hard part: On March 18, the Packers traded away All-Pro receiver Davante Adams for a first- and second-round pick. What Rodgers didnt know was that LaFleur was listening to the broadcast while game-planning. Each guy wants to talk shit about the one I spoke to previously. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. I think the ball can bounce either wayI dont want this to come off sounding like an excuse, because it is what it is. And so does Kyle Shanahan, who LaFleur worked for in Houston, Washington, and Atlantathough Shanahan calls it drift. It can be, LaFleur said, an uncomfortable play for the quarterback: a quick-hitting, five-step pass (or six steps if youre moving to the left) from under center. Im in Green Bay to find out why more people dont say that. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media on Sunday about the mindset of the team after the 15-9 road loss to the Detroit Lions. ), I still feel like theres still the opportunity for the same amount of yards and touchdowns. Packers can shore up pivotal role in Matt LaFleur's offense with tight ends in 2023 NFL Draft. 0 Comments. When LaFleur realized how perturbed Rodgers was last offseason, Rodgers said his coach was on the next flight to visit him in Malibu, Calif. That was definitely meaningful to me, Rodgers says. Matt LaFleur's ability to build trust, starting with Aaron Rodgers, is You want to earn that trust, and then you want to keep it, Campbell said. The argument LaFleur suffers from is that hes a beneficiary of Rodgerss talent. Ill always wish him well.. He also saw that LaFleur was humble enough to ask any question and bold enough to push for answers. Different late-season rest regiment, play-calling, practice tweaks, anything? As much as anything, its why Rodgers will be a Packer in 2022. Rodgers' move to the New York Jets had finally come through after weeks of negotiations with both franchises dealing away a significant amount of picks moving around and it only further solidified how much trust the organization has in him. No, youre gonna find a way to solve the problem., No one really knows how Adams will be replaced, and thats not necessarily a bad thing. Who is Matt LaFleur? Get to know the Packers' young head coach One of the best things you can say about Matt is that the guys hes worked with usually play their best ball when hes with them, McVay said. Serving as the officiant of the marriage for teammate David Bakhtiari and Frankie Shebby at the Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, Calif., Rodgers undoubtedly was having thoughts beyond the everyday variety. McVay said he looks for a handful of things in an assistant: character, capacity to learn, communication skills, and knowledge of the game from an all-22 perspectivemeaning every position. He is one of 49 members on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors board and one of nine members on the Seniors Committee. LaFleur reiterated his hope that he'd get to continue working with Rodgers this season while offering no news on the quarterback's status. You wanted to be the guy that found the play no one else had seen, you wanted to be the guy who watched the most tape, you wanted to be the guy who understood coverages the best, McDaniel said. Its not why we were there. He mentioned Lazard getting more opportunities, a healthy Randall Cobb being a factor, and big years from tight ends who might step up, along with backs catching more balls. The partnership between LaFleur and Rodgers now is 53 games old. I like practical coaching that makes sense and honest, direct conversation. Green Bay hasnt selected a wide receiver in the first round since taking Javon Walker from Florida State with the 20th overall pick in 2002. I put it to nearly everyone I spoke with for this story: Why doesnt LaFleur get as many plaudits as he should? Those in the building remain impressed with LaFleurs ability to never let anything affect the locker room, no matter the media firestorm. I really like it now, Rodgers said. Its just gonna get distributed among the guys that we have here, Rodgers said. All rights reserved. Talk to any former Shanahan assistant and youll get the same response. He walks down the air-conditioned hallway back to his office. Matthew Patrick LaFleur ( / lflur / l-FLOO-r; [2] born November 3, 1979 [1]) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). This means, he said, one of the few things you can control is giving players as much confidence and as much clarity going into the game as possible. The depth of this draft class at receiver and particularly at tight end could push the Packers toward using the 15th overall pick to address other needs, such as adding a safety or a pass rusher. But, as Saleh said, LaFleurs strength at that time was work ethic, not scheme. And theyre gonna make you throw the football? Maybe (Lukas) Van Ness from Iowa winds up falling to 15. On the postgame stage, LaFleur steps in front of the targeted and invites fire. He found a way to relate to godlike Aaron Rodgers.. The affection Rodgers has for his head coach is evident in the way he makes fun of him publicly. In fact, the trend started well before the arrival of Rodgers, who is expected to get traded to the New York Jets before the start of the next season. Matt LaFleur Addresses Packers DC Joe Barry's Future - Heavy.com Mike LaFleur said he and McDaniel spoke recently and both said they didnt even realize how much theyd learned until they left Shanahan. It was a comfort. Playbook alterations were coming anyway. You have to learn from every situation you are in, LaFleur says. McVays viewpoint on playoff mentality is simple: The best team doesnt always win. The third round has been disastrous for the Packers recently. Hed put on a ludicrous amount of layers before winter games and he kept talking about the cold while addressing the team late in the season. When the team hosted kids and their families from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the coach noticed Rodgers did more than provide autographs like he was signing checks to pay bills. He ran a basic pro-style offense there that was successful, if not wildly creative. They give credit to worse-looking guys, guys with terrible eyebrows and terrible hairlines, and hes blessed. It eventually came out, giving Ty a story that he might tell his grandkids. There were some remarks where Im like, Is he just messing with me? Clements is another spoke in the Packers wheel. The Packers took Christian Watson in the second round and Romeo Doubs in the fourth last year, but theyre the only Green Bay wideouts currently under contract who had at least 100 yards receiving last season. Said they are good friends and spoke Wednesday morning on the way into the office. His name was Kyle Shanahan, and hed been promoted from quarterbacks coach under Gary Kubiak. It was clear he was a different cat, his Ashland quarterback, Bill Cundiff, says now, mentioning the level of detail in the offense and the instant success the team experiencedeven if that pro-style, dropback system bore little resemblance to what LaFleur runs now. LaFleur has the same job: Make Rodgerss tape look better than it used to be, an increasingly high bar. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. But the team that plays the best in that three-hour window wins, he told me. He is, entering his fourth year, the longest-tenured head coach in his division, no doubt a byproduct of his rivals inability to reliably beat him. Teams are going to practice what theyve seen on tape, so take what theyve practiced and run the counter to it. LaFleur took over for the Green Bay Packers' former head coach, Mike McCarthy, in . Josiah Deguara, who had 13 catches for 114 yards last season, is the top tight end under contract. Instead of having the entire team stay at a hotel the night before the game, which is customary for NFL teams, LaFleur allowed veterans to stay home. To me, if edge is a priority, thats probably where youre going to get your best value (at 15), McShay said. I Want To Believe: Matt's Story | Matt Lafleur - Sick Pilgrim A lot of people said, Oh a 5-foot-10 quarterback cant play college ball, so I got used to drowning stuff out. LaFleur tells the story of the time, famous in his family, when his grandmother answered the phone after his grandfathera Kalamazoo, Michigan, high school coachlost a game. Go to where you feel you can get a big pass play. A relationship that falters, even for one series in one game, can alter the course of the franchise forever. I think you guys probably notice it even when you're in the locker room," LaFleur said in a press conference this past Saturday, April 29. Whatever is going to help them be their best, thats what we want. I want them to be happy, I want them to enjoy being here. I want him to hear why I like something or why he might not like something, because if hes not comfortable Im not going to call it., Matt Ryan, who LaFleur worked with as quarterbacks coach in Atlanta in 2015 and during Ryans MVP season in 2016, remembers how much translating went into learning the offense, how different the terminology was and how much trust it took. Theirs has been the most scrutinized relationship in the NFL, and it has held up under the surgical lights. That quickly changed. His response reflected rule No. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. On ESPNs Jan. 3 Manningcast for Monday Night Football, Rodgers joked about his coachs eyebrows and hair and also pointed out his game-day attire has included Jordans, lululemon pants and a quarter-zip sweater. But what if youre playing against a defense that says all right and is gonna load up the box? Matt LaFleur has noticed a different "mojo" with Jordan Love A Rodgers trade could bring them more picks. Dillon give the Packers one of the NFLs top running back tandems. When asked about defensive coordinator Joe Barry, LaFleur revealed that he didn't anticipate making any changes to the coaching staff for the 2023 season. Well, I dont know how productive it really is. In the resurfaced article, Robert Saleh told Demovsky that on one occasion in the mid-2000s, Kelly then the head coach at Central Michigan invited him and fellow graduate assistant coach Matt LaFleur to what they thought was a party at Kelly's house. Lets have an open dialogue and conversation and get better. When LaFleur was in Los Angeles for the NFL Honors, he met Clements, who lives in the area. Green Bay hasnt selected a wide receiver in the first round since taking Javon Walker from Florida State with the 20th overall pick in 2002. Rodgers talked him through it and wiggled the tooth for him. So, too, is the quarterback-coach relationship. I dont need a lot of fluff or convolution. I thought he would be great for everybody in that room, all our quarterbacks, LaFleur says. I always felt like it was a belief that you could really lock in an advantage, Rodgers says now of that interaction. They are grown men. You might see them greet them, but this was legitimately asking them questions, spending time with them.. And that says as much as you need to know.. The Eagles entered the draft with six selections, including the tenth and 30th overall pick and a second and third-rounder. Assuming the Packers stay at 15, this would be just their second top-15 overall pick in the past 14 drafts. 12 pick in 2019. That exchange of ideas, LaFleur said, is what hes after. Dan Pompei is a senior writer for The Athletic who has been telling NFL stories for close to four decades. And he is so damn good at it, man. When Rodgers used the hashtag boycottLafleursBrows on Twitter, LaFleur responded with a text: Boycott COVID toe.. Its a mindset. Please enter a valid email and try again. The Packers used their 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to improve their defense with defensive end Lukas Van Ness, retooled at the tight end position with Luke Musgrave and gave Love some much-needed help in the wideout group by selecting Jayden Reed out of Michigan State. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. But the results are good., LaFleur has blended this offense with the best plays from McCarthys playbook, at Rodgerss request, the result of an exhaustive and collaborative effort to make the quarterback feel as comfortable as possible. Rodgers says of his coach: Guys will follow you if you show them how much it means to you. (Michael Owens / Associated Press), Matt LaFleur, with linebacker DeVondre Campbell, has an impeccable winning percentage of .796 but no championships. Players feed off their coaches. This is their job and I expect them to come to work ready to play. I said, You know how I feel, but I was going to let him have his space and make whatever decision he thought was best for him. The NFL announced Friday that LaFleur will be the NFC coach for the 2022 Pro Bowl, while Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel will coach the AFC.. LaFleur's Packers and Vrabel's Titans were both the No. "I don't really anticipate a whole . LaFleur defended his decision to kick the field goal. But when I asked McDaniel my last questionWhats one thing I wouldnt know about LaFleur?he got far more serious. Thats not, by nature, the system we started on, McDaniel said. 15 and then get a safety, tight end and receiver later. And we need to make sure that were manifesting through our words the reality we want to achieve. LaFleur is fine with the cold now. Only it was a ruse to get the two to shovel snow and park cars all night long. #10 Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers. Certainly, there are adjustments, LaFleur says. 1: Team first. So it's not like LaFleur had to have some sort of. This is not just a fun anecdote, though: This is where Matt LaFleur first learned football. So now I can say, Matt, every freaking play in this practice has motion on it. All in all, the Packers have retooled their roster to better fit Love's skill sets and it will only be a matter of time before that manifests into something big. From MACtion, I learned you better have a quarterback, he said. He asks for an autograph for his kid (the kid, it should be noted, is very young and does not care at all). For LaFleur, establishing himself as a first-time head coach in 2019 was one thing. FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2021, file photo, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, left, talks to Aaron Rodgers during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago. Whether its real or not doesnt matter. He was apprehensive, as he had not yet lost a tooth. This thing doesnt operate with just one dude. LaFleur draws a line from those experiences to now, when he has to drown out noise on a weekly basis. Also at the wedding was Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who had the opportunity at the reception to lead Rodgers to the bar, offer him something strong and straight up, and make a pitch for Rodgers to come home with him. The lines could have been made with a ruler. In. I told him Im here for him and I support him, LaFleur says. Packers' Matt LaFleur Mocks Vikings Tradition Ahead of Opener - Heavy.com This only grew with time: LaFleur wanted to have direct conversations because he felt it was the only way to get the answers to his endless football curiosity. I told him, Hey, from my standpoint, you have to do what you think is right for your body.. The Green Bay Packers have begun the process of moving on from the Aaron Rodgers era. And we're excited for him.". And the team has playmakers in other offensive positions, like running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. LaFleur acknowledges it took a minute for him and Rodgers to get on the same page. He had no problem running on two hours of sleep. That now-famous Washington staff included both Shanahans (Kyle as offensive coordinator), LaFleur (quarterbacks coach), McVay (tight ends coach) and McDaniel (offensive assistant turned wide receivers coach). 1 in the progression in 80 percent of concepts, and its not going to be like that this year. So this story Im asking the QB to confirmthat he and other guests at David Bakhtiaris wedding in March made jokes to LaFleur about Rodgers retiring, before Rodgers had actually made a decisionjust flows with all the rest. All logic points to the Packers signing him to an extension in the coming months that would lock him into Green Bay for years and make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL. They had lunch al fresco and talked about how Clements could help the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is a problem, but Matt Eberflus must counter Matt LaFleur Aaron Rodgers was a couple of thousand miles from Green Bay, and as far as the Packers knew, his mind might have been further. I want them to feel part of a team. Right now, I dont know. Not saying theyre gonna learn anything, but I didnt take advantage of that time., I didnt learn ball ball until I got to the National Football League, he said. Arguably one of the best receivers of all time, especially when it comes to route running, Packers receiver Allen Lazard said of Adams. That can create conflict in a lot of situations, but not for them. LaFleur showed up with a bottle of scotch, the kind stores keep in a case behind the counter. And the onus will be on coaches to figure out how to help these players find success. Stenavich, the Packers offensive coordinator, said, I think a lot of people kind of get thrown off, because hes very direct. He also gave embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry a vote of confidence. Five months after that, hes back making fun of his coachs hair. "I've praised Mason up here a . So he was no. That was the furthest thing from his mind. Matt LaFleur: 'We're gonna find out a lot about ourselves moving forward' LaFleur on Rodgers: 'We want him back in the worst way' - AP NEWS LaFleur was the Titans offensive coordinator by then, but Rodgers recalled how much he loved those concepts when LaFleurs staff first came in. The more you talk to the core of the LaFleur-Shanahan-McVay tree, the more you realize that youre in the middle of what feels like the worlds most chaotic group chat between football geniuses. Nobody wants any of these guys to be miserable when theyre coming to work. Most importantly, it takes these guys. Much of that Houston staff departed for Washington in 2010 to work under Mike Shanahan. An NFL coach having three rules and only three rules is not ground-breaking. He did know ball, said McDaniel, who was on that 2008 Texans staff. LaFleurs beginnings have been more successful than the beginnings of his Packers predecessor, who also inherited a Hall of Fame quarterback. In multiple conversations over the two days after the end of the Packers season, LaFleur made sure Rodgers knew how much he was wanted. Theres also one more evolution thats taken place. The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. First of all, he's earned the respect of his actionsthe way he worksfrom all his teammates, I would say. Franklin, who has known LaFleur since they were graduate assistants at Central Michigan in 2005, says he perceived a decrease in LaFleurs anxiety last season. Ultimately, it was his decision.. The Packers took Christian Watson in the second round and Romeo Doubs in the fourth last year, who is expected to get traded to the New York Jets. Theyre always the most important. But he also took the blame for the loss, saying he failed to tell Rodgers he wouldnt have a fourth down to try to convert. And in Houston the following year, LaFleurs first task was to draw the run plays for legendary offensive line coach Alex Gibbs. Matt LaFleur said he has entertained the idea of Nathaniel Hackett returning to the Packers' staff. Now, theres some dispute about how much LaFleur actually knew at that time. The most common answer is obvious. Its important to really think about how we talk because our words are spells. McVay, LaFleurs former boss in Los Angeles, uses it too. Im going through that with my own kids right now., As a kid, LaFleurs mom took him to Central Michigan practices, but he said he didnt soak it in as much as he could have. Davante knows how I feel about him, LaFleur says. Copyright IBTimes 2023. Tight end Jace Sternberger (2019 third-round pick) and wide receiver Amari Rodgers (2021) left the organization within two years. Davante demanded so much of the ball because he was always open and if youve got a guy who is always open, you gotta give him the ball, Rodgers said. Without it, nothing. But the Packers never got the ball back. As LaFleur and I talk, we walk down Oneida Street in Green Bay and a stunned man stops pushing a stroller and waits for the coach to walk past. Best coach in the league, the man says to me. I wanted him to do what made him happy, because I think too many times we forget these players are people, first and foremost. Youre not facing the defense, turned toward the running back on the fake for most of the play. He was one of the best NCAA players Ive ever faced., The two would play for hours, alternating between playing as Central Michigan, where their father, Denny, was an assistant, or Florida State or Notre Dame. Matt LaFleur was in his debut season as Green Bay's coach when the Packers lost the NFC championship game to the San Francisco 49ers, whose staff featured Saleh as defensive coordinator and. LaFleur has not indicated, at any point, that he wants acknowledgment for what the Packers have achieved with him at the helm.
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