The Green Bay Packers believe they have a “bright” new offensive coach in Sean Mannion, and the icing on the cake was beating out the Chicago Bears to land the former NFL quarterback.
According to coach Matt LaFleur, Mannion decided to join the Packers coaching staff after interviews with both the Packers and Bears following the 2023 season.
Here’s how LaFleur explained it: “He was getting ready to go interview for Chicago. It was actually during the NFC Championship Game, which I really didn’t care to watch, I jumped on a Zoom call with him in the second half, and he showed me what he was going to present, and I told him, ‘Wow, that’s pretty good, I think you should come up to Green Bay right when you’re doing when that interview.’ I’m surprised they let him out of the building. They tried to get him, but I guess we had more to offer.”
Mannion, a third-round pick of the Rams in 2015 who spent nine years in the NFL, had previous experience with both LaFleur and new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Instead of teaming with Waldron and helping the Bears get the quarterback position fixed, Mannion chose an opportunity to work with LaFleur and Jordan Love in Green Bay.
LaFleur said Mannion will work primarily out of the quarterback room as an offensive assistant.
“I love his past experience. I’ve coached him before in LA. I always figured he was going to go down this route. Matter of fact, when we played him earlier in the year, he told me he was going to get into coaching, and I said, alright, well, let me know when you’re going to become a coach,” LaFleur said.
Mannion spent time on the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks in 2023.
In 2017, LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for the Rams while Mannion was the backup quarterback behind Jared Goff.
“He’s always been a guy I’ve always respected how he went about his process, how he prepared for games, how he helped Jared in that situation being a backup for us,” LaFleur said.
Mannion was a four-year starter at Oregon State and played in 14 regular season games — with three starts — at the NFL level. In Green Bay, he’ll get a chance to work under LaFleur and Tom Clements, two veteran coaches.
“We’re lucky to have him,” LaFleur said. “I really think this guy is going to have a bright future for us and in the coaching profession.”