Cleanup from Locker Cleanout Day in Green Bay
 |
| Photo Credit: Madison Morris, packers.com On Monday this week, the players for the Green Bay Packers cleaned out their lockers and talked to the media one last time before disappearing into the offseason. There were many stories and insights from key players such as Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft. The main story and question surrounding the Packers right now is what are they going to do with head coach Matt LaFleur? Give him an extension or move on? Parsons, as he leaned on his crutches, made it clear what he thinks of Matt LaFleur as a coach and as a person. Most notably, he was quoted saying, “I reached out to him when I started seeing this and I said, when I agreed to come here, you were part of the reason.”
Tucker Kraft added to the conversation as well, saying, “I don’t think there’s another coach that can come in and do it as well as he’s done it. It’s only getting better here. I think Matt’s an outstanding head coach.”
One thing is clear out of all this, the players do not want Matt LaFleur out of the building. We saw Jordan Love throw support behind LaFleur as well, even after the team’s gut wrenching collapse against the Bears in the first round of the playoffs. If the three biggest names on this roster want LaFleur to stay, it is hard to imagine the Packers moving forward without him.
LaFleur is not without blame for another first round exit, and Micah Parsons said it himself as well when talking about the guys who were on the field, “We need to have accountability. How did we let that game go?” Kraft and Parsons also gave updates on their injuries. Kraft says he feels good and he is hoping once week one rolls around for a possible return to action. Parsons, although he is seeking a return in week one, understands he is looking at a more likely week three return next season. Both players are highly motivated, and Tucker Kraft even commented on what he thought of losing Parsons in week 15, saying, “I do think that things would be completely different had we not lost him in the Broncos game.”
We were also provided with some injury updates on other key players going into the offseason. Devonte Wyatt announced that he broke his fibula and suffered a torn ligament in his ankle. On the bright side, he plans on being fully back for training camp. Zach Tom also announced that he suffered a partially torn patellar tendon in week 15 against the Broncos, where the season fell directly off a cliff. Tom is leaning toward getting surgery done with an expected recovery time of six months. Lastly, Sean Rhyan announced he suffered a bone bruise after taking a shot to the knee during the final game of the season against Chicago. Tests ended up showing he had no ligament damage.
It was not all doom and gloom on Monday. Number one cornerback Keisean Nixon commented on what he thought of his play this season, saying, “I think I played really well this year.” Never a dull moment when we get to hear from Keisean Nixon, that’s for sure. Nixon will be looking for a raise in his new contract this offseason. He was also quoted saying, “I love Green Bay. This is where I wanna be.”
Micah Parsons also gave praise toward defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who will be taking multiple interviews for possible head coaching gigs. When commenting on Hafley’s future in Green Bay, he smiled and said, “He ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Hafley is likely to get an offer to be a head coach somewhere else next season, but will he take it? He already predicted Micah Parsons will break the sack record next season. Will he pull a “Ben Johnson” and come back for unfinished business next season? Keep your eyes peeled.
As of right now, there is not any news on Matt LaFleur other than that the Packers are expected to work out a deal with him to stay as head coach going forward. Again, no official details have been released, but the longer this lingers on, we could be looking at this Packers team next season with a new face leading the charge. The players want him here, but what does first year Packers president Ed Policy want? The longer this lingers on, it is safe to say the likelihood of LaFleur returning gets slimmer.
Stay tuned and turn on your Schefty notifications, because when this news drops, it may be a 50/50 split as to how Packers nation reacts. Real Packer Fans Know🧀 |
Comments
Post a Comment